Life Is A Rollercoaster
by Bluetech
Summary: Jewel's anger turns to sadness as she realizes that she had wronged her mate. As she tries to pull herself back together, she knows that returning to Blu will be no easy task. When they finally set things right, what will the future hold for them?
1. The Search

I know that I haven't updated for a couple of days, but it is because I have been busy planning out two stories at once!

I am happy to say that the wait is over, because this is the sequel to Deja Vu!

I plan to update daily, but I apologize in advance if I don't. In that case, the day after I miss will be my update, and no later.

Please review when finished, and I hope you enjoy!

*Disclaimer: All of my OC's belong to me! All other characters belong to Fox and Blue Sky Sudios!*

Theme Song: Nickelback-Far Away

Enough blabber from me! Let's get to the story!

*THE Wolf Is Out*

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><p><em>Prologue: Jewel has flown off and found a solitary place to hide her anger at Blu.<em>

_After spending a sorrowful day alone, she comes to her senses and realizes that she made a tragic mistake._

_She wants to go back and ask Blu for forgiveness, but how can she, given what she said to him._

_Will she be forced to to return to her mate and set things straight, or will she be spared the shame?_

_Only time shall tell..._

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: The Search<strong>

Blu's urgent voice quickly woke the six macaws, and they shook themselves to clear away the drowsiness. "What is it, Papa! What happened?"

"A truck crashed into the Grand Palm after your mother and I finished singing. I am not going into the...details, but the club...was destroyed. Your mother was badly hurt, and after we left, she...was killed. But then-"

As soon as the words slipped from his beak, his children quivered with sorrow, and their eyes started to leak tears.

"No! Mama can't be dead! Please, Papa! Let her be alive!"

The way they reacted was like a blow to his heart, but he was going to reassure them that everything was _nearly_fine.

"Please calm down! Let me finish! Your mother is alive and well. I had to revive her, and when I did, she took on some of my...features. Like my left eye, and my serpent tongue."

The confusing mix of emotions they were feeling was stupefying. "What! How?"

"I don't know, but it seems as though the venom I now possess heals, rather than kills. However, she got very angry with me because she said I turned her into a...monster. She flew off, and I am going to go look for her. But she told me some very hurtful things..."

"Oh no! Where did she go?"

"She threatened me, and she told me not to follow her. I think I have a way to find her pretty quickly."

"But Papa, why would she act like that? You brought her back from death!"

"My point exactly, Esperanza. I just don't understand. I feel like I have hurt her deeply, maybe even too deeply..."

Blu heaved a sigh and gazed at the floor, his wings drooping at his sides. Ricardo and Vicente walked up to him and gave their father reassuring pats.

"Everything will be okay, Papa. But you have to find her, and you have to mend what is broken."

"Thank you, my sons. You always know the right things to say. I guess...I better get going..."

Just as he started trudging towards the exit, his three youngest children bunched together right in front of him.

"Can we come with you, Papa? We want to help you find our Mama. Please?"

Blu frowned and replied, "I am sorry, _meus filhos,_but this is something that I have to fix on my own. Besides, you have your brothers and sister to play with."

They merely nodded and walked back over to their siblings. Blu turned around and faced his eldest children. "Please take care of them. I don't know how long I will be gone, but as soon as I set everything straight, I will return as fast as possible."

Ricardo replied, "Don't worry, Papa. They will be safe. You just take all the time that you need. You have to take things slowly. Be careful, and I love you."

"So do I."

"Me too."

Three tinier voices added, "We love you so much, Papa. Bye."

A small tear fell from his eye and stained the floor of the hollow as he smiled. He glided from the tree, his heart heavy with apprehension for what was to come. But mixed in along with it was something else: hope.

He made his way back across the sanctuary and back into the city. The obsidian sky was still illuminated by hundreds of stars, but a soft cream glow was peeking over the far horizon.

Blu glided low over the quiet city and scanned the ground for any sign of Mauro and his marmoset gang. He spotted movement outside of Kipo's old club, and he spiraled down for a closer look.

When he landed, he noticed that the old Palm had been remodeled, and it was now quite impressive. He circled the building once, but he saw nothing that could have caused the movement he had just witnessed.

"Hmmm. Maybe it was a piece of trash being blown around by the wind. I should take a peek inside this fancy place, just to be sure..."

He trotted over to what looked like a gap in the aluminum wall and peered in with his left eye. To his surprise, a plethora of marmosets were milling about inside. The rest were snoozing on piles of money, but none of them actually resembled Mauro.

He raked his gaze across the space, and he spied him sitting at the front of the club. A makeshift chair had been built out of credit cards, and Mauro was happily relaxed in it.

Blu whispered, "I found him. Now, how will I convince him to help me? Well, that can come later. Here goes nothing..."

Blu scraped past the gap, and all at once, every single marmoset turned and glared at him curiously. Mauro stood up from his chair and did somersaults across the club, ending up right in front of Blu.

"Hehe. Look who we have here, boys! It's that macaw that we- ahhh!"

Mauro recoiled in shock the instant he looked at Blu's face, and the other marmosets drew away from him as well.

"Wha-what h-happened to you! Y-your eye! It is terrible!"

"I didn't mean to scare you, but it is a _really_long story, and it's beside the point. I came here to ask for your help."

Mauro did his best to conceal his unrest, and he stood up as straight as he could. He didn't want the others to think he was a coward.

"What sort of help?"

"Do you remember the other macaw that was with me when Nigel sent you to capture us?"

Mauro gave a snort of disgust at the cockatoo's name, and he replied, "Yeah. What about her?"

"Well, we had an argument last night, and she kind of...flew off. She is hiding somewhere in the city, and I need you to help me find her."

Mauro's eyes flashed with excitement, and he asked, "I will help you find her, but I expect something in return!"

Blu was going try and convince him that he had did a number on Nigel, and had in effect paid him back for what he had done to Mauro. "What if I told you that I turned Nigel into a featherless freak?"

Mauro remembered that several of his marmosets had reported seeing a naked bird walking around the city some time ago, just after last year's Carnaval. But Mauro wanted more than that.

"How can I be sure that you are telling the truth?"

"Nigel came and caught my mate after we escaped from you, and he took her to the Carnaval. I went to go rescue her, and he got me too. The smugglers he worked for loaded us on a plane and flew off.

I managed to get out of my cage, and after I helped free the other birds, he attacked me. I shot him from the plane with a fire extinguisher, and he hit the propeller. That is what shaved all of his feathers off."

The marmoset paced back and forth in front of him, obviously contemplating the validity of his story. After a few minutes, he ceased his pacing and looked firmly at the macaw.

"Well, no bird could have obviously done that with their talons. Also, you seem to know a whole lot about what went down, and I guess I can't deny you."

Blu gave a weak smile and said, "So, you will help me then?"

"Since you humiliated that nasty cockatoo, you got him even with me! In that case, we will help you."

Blu grabbed Mauro's left hand and gave him an energetic talon shake, but the marmoset just brushed his foot away. "Don't push your luck, bird."

Blu shrank back meekly and replied, "Oh, sorry! Forget all about what I just did!"

Mauro just huffed and scampered back over to his throne. "Okay, listen up! We have a new mission today, guys! I need you to scatter around the city and stay on alert for a blue macaw like this one.

She is a high-value target, and she could be anywhere! Whoever sees her should send me a marmoset message ASAP. Get to it, gang!"

The horde of marmosets streamed from the room, and only Blu and Mauro remained. He pulled out a sleek cellphone from behind the chair and placed it in front of the plastic structure.

He vaulted back over to Blu, and the macaw asked, "What do I do?"

"Just sit here and wait. Once my buddies get situated, your macaw won't be able to go anywhere without being seen! Once we find out where she is, you can go after her, and all will be well!"

"Uh, okay then. That's fine with me."

Blu glanced at the golden watch that was Mauro's belt, and he carefully read the tiny hands on its face. The watch said it was 10:20, and Blu was hoping that the marmosets would find Jewel before the day was over.

Mauro ran back over to his chair and plopped himself down in it.

Blu decided to pass the time with a nap, since he had gotten no sleep the previous night.

He settled himself down in a corner of the room, and just before he dozed off, he declared, "Hey Mauro, come get me when you find out anything."

"No problem, bird. Just try not to snore. I hear it enough from my own boys..."

Mauro watched as the blue macaw drifted off, but still keeping his left eye open somehow. Seeing that snake eye darting about still made him shudder, and he tried his best to ignore it.

The shadows created by the gaps in the roof slowly changed positions as the day dragged on. Mauro had received several texts throughout the day, and they all read that the blue macaw had not been seen yet.

As the afternoon passed and early evening approached, the shadows began to fade away. Mauro trotted outside and gazed up at the sky. A sheet of dreary gray clouds had rolled in, and the temperature was dropping noticeably.

"Wow. That was fast! It was warm all day long, but as soon as the sun started to set, clouds came in and it got chilly. Sure is weird weather for such a nice city..."

He ran back in and jumped back into his chair. Another uneventful hour passed, and he was starting to think that the search would have to be called off for the day.

Just as he picked up the cell to send out the text, it vibrated suddenly. He jumped at the loud noise, but he quickly stilled his nerves. He stared at the screen, and it read: _Eeeh_!_ Oooh_!_ Ahhh Eeeh_!

In the lower right corner were the words: _Received at: 7:35 P.M. _Mauro smirked and laid the phone back down.

He walked over to the sleeping macaw, and before he even reached him, Blu was already shaking himself awake. "Any news, Mauro?"

"Some of my boys over by the Sambadrome saw her flying over to an old airport. I say you better get going! She might not be there for long!"

"Right. Well thanks for your help, Mauro."

"No problem. I should thank you for teaching Nigel a lesson about how it feels to be powerless!"

Blu nodded to him and flew from the building. He had forgotten to ask Mauro how he had renovated the old Palm, but that could come later.

He slowly flew across the city, and the slight chill in the air was affecting him. "Brrr. Why is it cooling down so fast! Today was as warm as ever!"

He glanced upwards, and a featureless expanse of gray clouds hovered far above. He puffed out his feathers to try and stay warm, and it trapped just enough body heat to keep him flying and thinking.

He had a rough idea of where Jewel was, but he wasn't for sure. "What airport is he talking about? He said that some marmosets near the Sambadrome saw her. Let me see..."

Blu's brain churned as it tried to pinpoint her location, and a distant memory provided the answer. "Oh! I know which one: The airport where the smugglers had their plane! That is an odd place for Jewel to go though. Well, I better get my tail feathers over there!"

Blu flapped his wings even more rapidly, and he managed to keep the cold at bay. He streaked through the air like blue lightning, and he passed over the Sambadrome a few minutes later.

He climbed high into the air for a better vantage point, and he spied a small patch of gray off in the distance, surrounded on all sides by lush green plants.

"There it is!"

He began to descend towards the airport, but he quickly stopped himself short. "Wait, wait, wait! What will I say to her? What if she is still angry with me? I don't want to get attacked! Oh man, what do I do?"

Blu flew around in tight circles as he wracked his brain for a solution. "I will just have to tell her how I feel! I will have to apologize for hurting her, even though it wasn't _really _my fault. Maybe I can get her to calm down and come home with me. I hope she will say that she still loves me..."

Blu concluded his monologue and began a nervous glide towards the airport below. A short while later, he alighted on the rough tarmac and scanned the area.

Several ghostly planes sat in front of their hangars, appearing like the forgotten sentinels of the sky above. Most of the doors on the steel buildings were closed, but the doors on two of the hangars were slightly ajar.

Blu flew languidly over to the two buildings, and a mournful sound was echoing from the hangar on the right. "There is something in there. It must be Jewel! But, why is she crying? Maybe she isn't upset after all..."

The nervous macaw trotted into the building, and as he passed between the towering doors, he found himself standing in a spacious, dark room. The sobbing noises were echoing all around him, and he felt like he was a visitor to some haunted, abandoned mansion.

He tilted his head this way and that, and he quickly determined that its source lay far to the back of the hangar, near the ceiling. He flew straight up towards the arched roof, and he began gliding between the regularly spaced steel support trusses.

The sobbing grew more defined, and as Blu gazed into the darkness ahead, a small sapphire form was hunched over in the corner, near the attachment point of a truss.

He alighted down as quietly as he could on the beam that ran the length of the hangar, and he slowly advanced towards Jewel. He stopped moving when he was only two trusses behind her, and he could see that her back was to him.

He braced himself for her reaction and then drew a deep breath. "Jewel, _sou eu. Por favor, pare de chorar. Vim pedir-lhe desculpas..._"

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><p><strong>AN: I will start providing translations for any Portuguese I use in my stories right here. I have been told several times by other readers that my stories would have been even more enjoyable if I had provided the translations. I fully understand, so that's why I will be doing them from now on.**

**Meus filhos.=My children.**

**Sou eu.=It's me.**

** Por favor, pare de chorar.= Please, stop crying.**

**Vim pedir-lhe desculpas.= I came to apologize to you.**

****Well, this wraps up my first chapter. Stay tuned for more!**  
><strong>


	2. Seeing Red, Seeing Blu

**Chapter 2: Seeing Red, Seeing Blu**

The last words out of Jewel's beak were hard for her to say, and she just couldn't tell if she _really _meant them. Nothing had infuriated and crushed her so much as what Blu had just done to her.

She believed that he couldn't have loved her since he did what he did, but then again, _did he_? She flew away in a rage, and she felt not a hint of remorse as she left him standing there, all alone, outside the ruins of the Grand Palm.

So clouded were her thought processes that she didn't know if she loved _him_ either. She looked back and saw that he wasn't following her, and she felt a spark of accomplishment.

However, that feeling was simply drowned in the anger that had tainted her soul. She flew across the city, not really heading for any particular destination, until a possible concern managed to thread its way into her brain: _I have to find a place to rest. I can't be out in the open. He might come looking for me. I have to hide. But, where?_

Jewel streaked across the desolate town, and she decided to hole up in the large circular structure below.

_Perfect. O Estádio do Maracanã. He will never think to look there. I hope it is warmer inside the stadium than it is out here..._

Jewel spiraled down past the huge opening in the roof and followed the ceiling all the way to the wall. She alighted on a huge steel beam and slumped down against the rough concrete wall next to her.

Much to her dismay, the chilled night air had permeated the stadium as well, and she tried her best to keep warm. As she fell into a tormented sleep, the first inklings of shame and longing began to creep into her mind.

In her dream, she was back at home with her mate and her three youngest children. The three little macaws were huddled up peacefully on the other side of the hollow.

Jewel was reclined against her mate, and she was bathed in the warmth that was pulsing from his body. As her dream dragged on, she and Blu awoke to a mythical sunrise, and her children followed shortly after.

Blu turned and gazed into her eyes, and he opened his beak to speak. Just before the words came out, the dream came crashing down all around her, and she was jolted awake.

As she gazed around at the empty expanse before her, she felt the soothingly warm late morning air envelop her. She huffed, "Finally! I hate the cold! And that ssstupid dream! It better not come back tonight!"

As she took off from the beam and glided for the opening, a gnawing sensation arose in her stomach. "Man, am I hungry! I better go get sssomething to eat. But firssst, I need to check on ssssomething..."

She did her best to ignore the slurring of her words as she flew up and out of the stadium and gazed out across the city. She spied the bay to her left, and a long, bustling street was running right next to it.

"Ah ha. Let's go sssee what happened to the Grand Palm overnight."

She slowly descended through the air and began flying just above the busy avenue. She followed the road for some time, and she spied a large group of people and equipment next to an intersection.

Traffic was being diverted to a side street with yellow detour signs, and large machines were cleaning up the rubble of the once-standing brick building. Jewel alighted on a traffic light and gazed down at the action below.

A faded orange front loader was scooping up the immense pile of bricks and dumping them into a large truck. Men in neon vests were sweeping up the glass into large piles.

Others were carrying away the numerous bird bodies in their gloved hands, chucking them haphazardly into large black bags.

She smirked and said, "Well, it looksss like ssserpent boy didn't ssstick around to watch the action! _Ah, isso é certo! Ele não consegue lidar com o frio! _All the better for me."

As the cleanup men continued their signaling, interspersed with the occasional shout in Portuguese, Jewel took off from the steel pole and made a beeline for the jungle. The hunger in her stomach had morphed from a simple sensation to a bloodthirsty craving.

She streaked past the sanctuary that was her home, and headed on to the expanse of jungle adjacent to it. She flew deep into the lush undergrowth and alighted on the damp ground.

She gazed up and saw a tree loaded with mangoes, but the craving in her gut insisted that she eat something else. She scanned the tree trunks and ferns in front of her, and a flash of movement caught her eye.

To her right, a large gecko was plastered to the trunk, lazily licking its eyes. She froze in place, and it was though another conscience had invaded her brain.

She felt like a ghost in her own body as her left eye closed, and her snake eye opened wide. The serpent eye locked its gaze on the gecko, and Jewel slowly crept towards the clueless animal a few feet ahead.

As she drew ever closer, her fangs sprung forward out of her beak, and their tips glistened with drops of fluid. Her forked tongue flicked madly in and out, tasting the gecko's scent.

Just as she neared striking distance, she tensed her muscles and leaped at the creature. She snatched it right off the trunk before it could react, and she pinned it to the ground.

Jewel brought her head down and skewered the squirming creature with her fangs. She felt thin streams of liquid shooting out of them and into her victim.

The gecko's struggles grew feeble, and they eventually ceased altogether. Jewel let out a hiss of triumph at her catch.

"Nice try, you sssimple creature! You can't essscape me!"

She retracted her fangs from its skin, and they folded neatly back into her beak. She then ripped the limbs off of its body and swallowed them one by one, reveling in the taste of the meat.

She then grabbed the headless, limbless body and tossed it into the air. She opened her bloodstained beak wide and gulped down the rest of her catch.

"Deliciousss! I can get usssed to thisss! I-"

Suddenly, the world began to spin around, and a wave of dizziness swamped her mind. Her left eye peeled open, and her snake eye dwindled back down to a thin slit.

She regained control of her body and shook away the confusion. "Okay. That wasss odd, and yet very pleasssing! Now, I need to find a place to wasssh thisss blood off..."

She scanned the space around her, both looking and listening for any sign of water. "I guesss I will have to go back to the sssanctuary and look there..."

Jewel whirled around and blasted off back through the jungle, eventually running into the border net. She forced her way through an entrance hole and focused her senses for any signs of running water.

She heard a soft rushing sound off to her right, and it sounded fairly close. Jewel executed a tight turn and flew straight for the source. As she emerged from the undergrowth, she braked rapidly to avoid hitting a wall of rock that erupted in front of her.

"Woah! Hey, I remember this cliff. I think there is a waterfall around here somewhere..."

To her left, a hearty waterfall spilled over the cliff and crashed down onto the ground below. A swift stream flowed away from it and disappeared into the jungle.

"There! Maybe that ssstream isss feeding a pool of water that I can ussse!"

She trotted over to the tiny river of sparkling water and followed it past a screen of plants. She came upon a good-sized pool of the same clear liquid, and she proceeded to dip her face into it.

The water soon became pink in color as the blood dissolved into it. Jewel then began splashing the water all over her, soaking her feathers thoroughly.

She gave herself an energetic shake, and hundreds of droplets flew in all directions. Satisfied with her bath, she started to walk away, but a quivering fern leaf piqued her interest.

"_Quem está aí?_"

To her utter surprise, the fern leaf parted and revealed three tiny blue macaws. They moved over to Jewel and began playing around her, laughing and chirping happily.

That sense of deep longing began to fill her spirit once again, and she gently scooped up the three macaws with her wings.

She brought them close to her face and whispered, "Liliana? Josefina? Stefano? Is it really you? Why are you so far away from home?"

The chicks gave Jewel questioning looks, and they all replied, "Who are _they_? And who are _you_? Ahhh! Run!"

Jewel blinked in response, and the three blue macaw chicks suddenly became the color of scarlet. The chicks glanced at Jewel's face and quickly broke free of her grasp.

They dropped to the ground and scampered off, squeaking in terror. The longing feeling that was hiding deep in her conscience now erupted full force inside of her, and her eyes filled with tears.

_It was...just an illusion! I thought that they were my chicks! Oh, how I miss them! What if I never get to see them again? It's all my fault! I broke Blu's heart! How will I ever show my face in our hollow again?_

Jewel was crushed by the shame of her mistake, and she collapsed onto the damp ground. Her tears dripped steadily into the small pool, creating patterns of circles that radiated across its surface.

Through the sound of her cries, she heard a stern voice echo in her ears. "_Quem fez isso com meus filhos? _Come on! Show yourself!"

Just then, a large Scarlet Macaw burst through the screen of plants, and the three chicks were huddled around his feet.

He gave Jewel a withering look and declared, "_Alguns nervos que você tem, assustando meus três inocentes pintinhos! Você..._" The enraged macaw suddenly stopped himself short as he got a good look at the sobbing macaw before him.

Jewel gazed up at him and muttered, "_Sinto muito. Eu não queria..._"

The macaw had remarkably familiar features, and he recognized who it was instantly. "Jewel? _É você?_"

"_Sim_..."

The eyes of the Scarlet Macaw grew round with wonder and curiosity, and he gazed down at his chicks. "It's okay, _meus filhos. _This macaw is a friend of mine. No need to be scared!"

The chicks stopped shaking at their father's words, but they stayed rooted next to his feet. He turned around and yelled, "Maricela, honey! _Nós temos um visitante! _Come quick!"

A few quiet seconds passed, and another kaleidoscopic bird drifted down next to the male. "What is all this ruckus about? Why are Leo, Joaquin, and Valeria so upset?"

"Everything is fine, dear. Look over there."

The female swiveled her gaze, and a distraught bue macaw caught her eyes.

"Wait, is that who I think it is?"

"Yes, honey. That is Blu's mate, and it seems she is having a very bad day."

"Hey, Jewel. Why don't you come to our hollow and tell us what is wrong..."

Back in the roomy hollow of Frank and Maricela, while the chicks were bunched together beneath their parents, Jewel had managed to recite the events of the past day to them, after having mostly dried up her tears.

"...and that *Sniff* is when your chicksss *Sniff* found me..."

The two Scarlet Macaws stared at each other in slight disbelief. The female turned back to Jewel and said, "I see. I would say that you are in a very precarious position. But I know how to fix it, and I think that you do too."

"I do? *Sniff* How?"

"You have to go and find Blu, wherever he is, and apologize to him. But, you have to say it from the heart. I have no doubt that he will forgive you. But _you _have to right the wrongs, or you will never recover and move on with your life.

And if you don't go back to him, neither will he."

"I had a feeling you would *Sniff* sssay that. I am ssso assshamed of what I did. It isss going to be ssso hard to do! But, I misss my children, and I misss _him_..."

Maricela walked over to her and helped Jewel to her feet. She gazed into Jewel's two different eyes and said, "That is why you have to fix things now. Only then will you truly begin to heal.

Deep down, I know that he still loves you, and you love him deep down as well. The past is in the past, Jewel, and there is no way to change it. But you can still change the future, and change it for the better."

Jewel let loose small tears of joy, and she gave Maricela a tight hug. "Thank you ssso much. You really... helped me sssee sssenssse. What would I...do without you?"

"Don't worry about it. I have already been through this once with Blu. Everything turned out well, didn't it?"

"Yeah. Up until now..."

"And it will be well once again. Now go find him."

Jewel nodded slightly and flew from the hollow, meeting the toasty late afternoon air head-on. However, as Jewel made her way through the sanctuary, she felt that she wasn't _quite _ready to approach him.

She opted to go back to the city to collect her thoughts. Once she found her way back out, she glided low across the still-active city, searching all over for a solitary place to prepare herself in.

Little did she know, as she drifted past the Sambadrome, a small group of marmosets caught sight of her, and they rushed back to their phone and began to text King Mauro.

As she flew on, the sea of buildings below gave way to lush patches of jungle, and Jewel felt a chill creep into the air. She looked up and saw that a sheet of gray clouds had blanketed the sky and blocked out the sun.

Jewel noticed that the world had gone from bright and lively to monotone and dreary. The cold air began to permeate her feathers, and she tried her best to keep warm.

She longed deeply for Blu's warmth, and she fell once again into a depressed state. She looked down, and she saw a large patch of concrete studded with several large metal structures.

_This place. I remember it. I think this is where we were loaded onto that plane. And it is also where Blu brought me after he learned to fly..._

Jewel landed down on the concrete, and she saw another illusion manifest in front of her. The ghostly form of Blu drifted down from the griseous sky above, carrying the spectral form of Jewel in his talons.

He set her down gently on the tarmac and peered reassuringly into her eyes. The two illusionary macaws then looked over at something, and then the Jewel from the past was lifted into the air by an imaginary Tulio.

The two macaws then melted away, and Jewel began to sob once more.

_That day was so long ago. Is some unknown force trying to instill a sense of nostalgia in me? That day was the day when our lives truly began. Is that why I came here? To plan a new beginning, once again? That is the only explanation that I can think of..._

Jewel scanned the area, and several worn down planes sat in front of their hangars. She spied two just ahead that had been left slightly open, and she chose to shelter herself in the right-most building.

As she walked across the tarmac and between the large doors, a musty smell slowly enveloped her. The odor of grease, rust, and gasoline caused her eyes to burn, and she automatically cried even more.

She glided to the rear of the building and nestled down on a cold steel truss. She steadied her breathing and began to plan out her apology.

"Okay. Maricela said that I need to say it from the heart. First off, I need to apologize for the things I said. Second...man, my eyes!"

She fanned herself with her wings, and she managed to clear away the odor for a few minutes. "Second, I need to tell him that he _doesn't _need to apologize for what he did.

And lastly, I need to tell him that...that...I love him. Oh, this is going to be so difficult! Why did I have to act like that! _Eu agi como um monstro!_"

As Jewel continued her self-degradation, she was too occupied to notice that something had entered the dark hangar and alighted on a support beam a few feet behind her. Jewel suddenly froze as a sweet, familiar, and yet downtrodden voice emanated from behind her.

"Jewel, _sou eu. Por favor, pare de chorar. Vim pedir-lhe desculpas..._"

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><p><strong>AN:**

**O Estádio do Maracanã=The **Maracanã Stadium.****

**Ah, isso é certo! Ele não consegue lidar com o frio!= Oh, that's right! He can't handle the cold!**

**Quem está aí?=Who's there?**

**Quem fez isso com meus filhos?=Who did this to my children?**

**Alguns nervos que você tem, assustando meus três inocentes pintinhos! Você...=You have some nerve, scaring my three innocent little chicks! You...**

**Sinto muito. Eu não queria...=I am sorry. I didn't mean to...**

**É você?=Is that you?**

**Sim...=Yes...**

**Meus filhos.=My children.**

**Nós temos um visitante!=We have a visitor!**

**Eu agi como um monstro!=I acted like a monster!**

**Jewel, sou eu. Por favor, pare de chorar. Vim pedir-lhe desculpas...=Jewel, it's me. Please, stop crying. I came to apologize to you.  
><strong>


	3. Home At Last

**Chapter 3:Home At Last**

Jewel slowly turned around, and as she caught sight of her handsome mate, her heart exploded with joy. However, the shame that had plagued her still lingered, and she knew that now was the time to vanquish it.

She charged at Blu and pinned him to the cold steel beam, and he began to tremble with fear beneath her. "_Sinto muito! Sinto muito! Por favor, não me machuque!_"

Jewel smiled weakly and replied, "I am not going to hurt you, Blu. I have missed you _so _much! And I need to tell you something..."

"Okay! But first, let me get up! You're hurting some of my...vital organs!"

Jewel slowly peeled herself off of him and stepped back a few paces. He then picked himself up and balanced himself on the narrow beam beneath him. He doubled over and clutched his lower belly, muttering, "What do you...need to tell me?"

Jewel stifled the flow of tears and replied, "You don't need to apologize for anything, Blu. This was...all my fault. I acted like a monster, and_ I _am the one who should be asking for forgiveness. _Estou profundamente arrependido do que fiz. _Do you accept...my apology?"

Blu stared at his gorgeous mate, and he felt the sincerity in her words. As shocked as he was by her confession, he knew that he would always forgive her. "Of course I forgive you, Jewel. But, I thought that I...broke your heart. That was the worst feeling I have ever experienced..."

"No, Blu. I said and did terrible things, and I knew that I had broken _your _heart. After I left, I started to feel the shame of my actions. I witnessed several hallucinations as a result, and it made me realize how wrong I had been.

I was found by Maricela and Frank in the jungle, and they tried their best to help me see sense. Well, it worked, and I came here to try and work out how to come back to you. I was so cold and lonely, Blu. I needed you more than ever, but I just couldn't bring myself to face you again..."

Blu carefully walked along the steel beam and stood directly in front of Jewel. He wrapped her in his wings and replied, "Everything is going to be okay, Jewel. I am here now, and you don't have to be ashamed any longer. And, I also have something to tell _you_..."

"What is-" Her reply was cut short as Blu planted his beak on hers, and the rush of heat melted her heart. His kiss chased away the ice inside of her, and she felt a silent confirmation that what he had just said was indeed true.

He drew his head back and whispered, "I love you, Jewel. And I always will..."

"As do I, Blu. And from now on, no matter what happens between us, that will never change."

The two macaws remained enfolded in each other's wings for several reflective minutes. Blu gazed at his mate and asked, "Would you like to come home now, Jewel? Our children are waiting."

"I would love to, Blu. Lead the way..."

Blu turned and dropped from the beam, falling just a few feet before spreading his wings and gliding towards the gap in the hangar doors. Jewel followed soon after, and as she exited the hangar in Blu's wake, two small tears of joy fell down to the floor and seeped into the ground.

The macaws drifted peacefully across the city towards the lush expanse of green that was the Blu Bird Sanctuary. The sky above was still smothered by the sheet of griseous clouds, and the air had kept its chilling bite.

An urgent feeling began to settle upon Blu, and he could sense that he was cooling down. "J-Jewel? How f-far is it to our home? I am getting d-drowsy..."

_Great. We have to get home before he falls asleep mid-flight and falls to the ground! I don't feel like having to drag his tail-feathers the rest of the way home right now!_

Thankfully, the border net had faded into view, and Jewel believed that her mate could fly the rest of the way. "Come on, Blu. We are almost there! Just a little farther!"

Jewel slipped quickly past the net, but Blu clumsily forced his way in, and his super-long talons almost became entangled in the mesh

"C-coming, Jewel. Let's h-hurry. I won't b-be awake after m-much longer..."

Jewel flew just above him as they made their way towards the clearing that sheltered their home. As they penetrated the barrier of plants, Jewel laid eyes on a welcome sight: the cannonball tree that erupted from the middle of the clearing.

It was a sight that Jewel believed she wouldn't have seen for a long time, and yet, there it was, right in front of her. However, as she drew closer to the tree, a large bird emerged from it and flew off towards the jungle.

_Now who could that be? Wait...it's Esperanza! She must have grown worried and went out to search for us. I better go catch her!_

She peered down at Blu and yelled, "You go on home, Blu! I have to chase after Esperanza! She just left to go look for us! I will be back soon!"

"O-okay, honey. I will s-see you when you g-get back..."

Jewel watched as Blu languidly flapped over to the hollow and landed awkwardly in the entrance. She did a rapid 180 and streaked back towards the jungle after her daughter.

She pierced the wall of plants and scanned the jungle in all directions for any sign of her. Far ahead, a light blue shape was weaving determinedly through the undergrowth, and Jewel rapidly boosted her flight speed.

She quickly closed the distance between them, and she began shouting her daughter's name, hoping that she would hear her.

"Esperanza! Esperanza! Come back! It's your mother!"

As her voice radiated through the air, the female macaw whirled around and began to fly back the way she had came.

"Mama! Mama! It's you!"

Jewel went into a hover as her daughter approached, and she was soon enfolded in a powerful hug from Esperanza.

"Papa told us what happened this morning! Are you okay?"

"_Sim, minha filha. _Everything is fine now. Your Papa and I just needed to have a little talk."

"Thank you for telling me! I was so worried! I missed you and Papa! I left because I thought that I could find you."

You're welcome. I am sorry for being gone so long, but in short, I was having an emotional breakdown. Thankfully, it is all over. Let's go home, shall we?"

"Okay, Mama! Let's go!"

Esperanza released her grip on her mother and flew just behind her as they made a beeline for their home. As they re-emerged into the clearing and neared the tree, they watched a large macaw poke his head out and look around.

As he caught sight of them, he waved his wing and drew back into the hollow. Jewel and her daughter flew in, exhausted, but happy nonetheless. Just then, Jewel was toppled over by her second batch of children.

As they piled onto her chest, she could see that they had grown noticeably since she last saw them.

"Mama! You're back! I missed you!" "How are you?" "I missed you too, Mama! I love you!"

"_Eu perdi você também! _I am feeling great! I love you three too!"

Jewel gave her three jubilant chicks a warm hug, pressed them tightly against her chest feathers. She released her grip after a few seconds and let her wings fall out beside her. She tried to get up, but the weight of the three bouncing macaws was too much.

She winced as Liliana jumped up in the air and landed forcefully on her chest, driving the air from her lungs. She swiveled her head to Blu and exclaimed, "_Um pouco de ajuda aqui, querida!_"

Blu smiled and walked over to her, scooping the three chicks off of Jewel with his wings. He set them down next to her, and they gave squeals of protest. "Awww, Papa! We were having so much fun! Why did you have to ruin it?"

Blu peered down at them and replied, "I know you were, but your mother has had a rough day. You don't want to break her!"

Jewel rose to her talons and trotted over to the entrance, gazing around curiously at the dark jungle. "Look how late it is! It is time that we get some sleep!"

Liliana, Josefina, and Stefano cried, "But we aren't tired! We want to play some more! Please, Mama? Can we stay up just a _little _longer?"

Jewel turned away from the entrance and looked them directly in the eyes. "No. You have had enough playtime for one day, and I am sure that your brothers and sister are ready for some sleep as well. They probably used up all of their energy just to keep you three under control!"

She glanced over at her three grown children, and they affected sympathetic gazes. "We sure did, Mama! As much as we loved watching over them today, they sure know how to drain every last drop of energy from us! Needless to say, we are just about ready to hit the floor!"

"Well, I guess that settles it, then! Let's all turn in for a well deserved rest."

As Jewel ushered her three younger chicks over to their nest and tucked them in, Ricardo, Vicente, Esperanza asked, "Uh, Papa, is it okay if we slept here tonight? It has been a long time since we spent quality time together..."

"Hmmm, that's right! We haven't had the whole family gathered here for awhile now! I see nothing wrong with it! What about you, honey?"

"Uh, sure! But, they don't have anything soft to sleep in..."

The three macaws countered, "Don't worry, Mama! There is enough room leftover in our siblings' nest for us."

They clambered into the mossy bed behind the other three macaw chicks, and there was just enough space for them to fit in comfortably.

"You see! Now we can keep them warm, too!"

Blu gazed at the six macaws huddled in the nest and said, "Suit yourself, _meus filhos. _I just hope you can still fall asleep!"

He spun to face Jewel, and as he bowed, he pointed his wing in the direction of their nest. "_Você em primeiro lugar, meu anjo..._"

Jewel brushed past him and plopped herself down in the soothing green circle of moss. "_Obrigado, garoto serpente. _Now its your turn..."

Blu smiled mischievously and climbed into the nest, snuggling himself gently against his mate. He and Jewel gazed across the hollow and whispered, "Good night, children. Sweet dreams..."

The six macaws did not reply, for they had already shut their eyes and dozed off. Jewel noticed that the three little macaws were huddled up peacefully against their siblings, and she knew then that the dream she had experienced the day before had become reality.

_I must have been dreaming the future. However, this time, it is more complete. I have all of my children here, and I am back with Blu as well. Everthing is finally back to normal. And maybe, just maybe, this is the way it will stay..._

Jewel reclined against her mate in the same manner that the dream had foretold, and she could feel the warmth pulsing from his body. Just before she drifted off, she gazed one more time at her children, and something caught her eye.

She immediately perked herself up and nudged Blu in his left wing. "Blu! Wake up! You have to see something!"

He awoke from his light snooze and whispered, "What is it? Where?"

She pointed with her wing at Josefina, and his eyes grew wide with concern. Her talons had grown even longer since they had last checked, and they extended a full two inches past the edge of the nest.

He turned back to his mate and looked her in the eyes. "_Não podemos esperar mais. _We have to tell her what she has, and we have to do it first thing in the morning."

Jewel sighed deeply and replied, "You are right. I just hope that she takes doesn't take it the wrong way. I mean, we haven't said a word about it to her since she was born..."

"She'll do fine. I am sure that she will understand. Besides, I will be speaking to her from experience, and that will help immensely. With our help, she will realize this: O que ela tem é um bênção, e não uma maldição. Now let's get some rest. Good night, Jewel."

"Good night, Blu." She reached up and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, and soon after, he had closed his eyes.

The sound of his gentle breathing lulled Jewel to sleep as well, and the hollow before her faded away into blackness.

On this night, however, Jewel did not dream. She simply flew about inside the black expanse within her mind, and Blu was right there by her side, just like he would always be.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**Sinto muito! Sinto muito! Por favor, não me machuque!=I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please, don't hurt me!**

**Estou profundamente arrependido do que fiz.=I am deeply sorry for what I did.**

**Sim, minha filha.=Yes, daughter.**

**Eu perdi você também!=I missed you too!**

**Um pouco de ajuda aqui, querida!=A little help here, honey!**

**Meus filhos.=My children.**

**Você em primeiro lugar, meu anjo...=You first, my angel...**

**Obrigado, garoto serpente.=Thank you, serpent boy.**

**Não podemos esperar mais.=We can't wait any longer.**

**O que ela tem é um bênção, e não uma maldição.=What she has is a blessing, and not a curse.**


	4. Unexpected Developments

**Chapter 4:Unexpected Developments**

Much to her enjoyment, the mythical sunrise that had inhabited Jewel's dream now manifested itself before her, and she awoke to the warm kiss of the eastern sun.

She stroked the back of Blu's head with her right wing, and he slowly began to stir. He half-opened his eyes and muttered, "What? Who's that? Don't touch me, or I will...oh, hey Jewel. Is it morning already?"

"_Sim, senhor._"

She jumped from the nest planted herself in front of Blu, stretching her wings wide and giving a huge yawn. Seeing her silhouetted against the rising sun instantly entranced Blu, and he slumped down in the nest, a crooked smile in his face.

"Hey, Blu? Blu? Oh, come on! Snap out of it! Why do you always stare at me? Don't you have other things to look at? Blu!"

She grew annoyed with his unresponsiveness, and she gave him a hearty swipe with her wing. He was jolted back out of his mesmerized state as quickly as he had entered it, and he felt a warm spot on his face.

"_O que foi isso! _I am already awake! That doesn't feel too great, you know!"

"That will teach you to avoid staring at me for a whole minute straight!"

Blu tried to rub away the soreness with his left wing as he clambered out of the nest. "Can I help the fact that you are so gorgeous? Is it wrong to get a good look at you every now and then?"

Jewel blushed heavily at at his remarks, and she moved in close to him. "Well, not really. Thank you for the compliments, though. And, you made a good point there! I-"

Blu silenced her with his wing on her beak before saying, "To quote one of my favorite authors -He gazed quickly at the scintillating sunrise outside before turning back to Jewel-

_Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?_

_Thou art more lovely and more temperate:_

_Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,_

_And Summer's lease hath all too short a date:_

_Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,_

_And oft' is his gold complexion dimm'd;_

_And every fair from fair sometime declines,_

_By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd:_

_But thy eternal Summer shall not fade_

_Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;_

_Nor shall Death brag thou wanderest in his shade,_

_When in eternal lines to time thou growest:_

_So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,_

_So long lives this, and this gives life to thee._"

A single large tear welled up in the corner of Jewel's right eye, and it plopped gently onto Blu's right foot. "That was...so sweet, Blu. Who said that?"

"A playwright named William Shakespeare, in a piece titled _Sonnet #18. _I think it fits you perfectly."

"_Isso foi apenas bonito. Como você se lembrar de tudo isso!_"

"Remember honey, I lived with Linda in the bookstore my entire life! I had _plenty_of free time to read and memorize all that I wanted to!"

"That's right. Silly me! Well, that was a very loving poem, and I think you deserve something in return!"

She grabbed Blu with her wings and dipped him towards the floor. As he reclined in her embrace just a few inches above the bottom of the hollow, she leaned down and kissed him deeply.

Blu closed his eyes and kissed back, and for a few seconds, he felt as though he and Jewel were the only two macaws in the hollow.

However, a chorus of disgusted sounds streaming from the other corner of the room irrefutably suggested otherwise.

Their three older children exclaimed, "_Que nojo! Peço-lhe que pare! Existem seis outras araras aqui, você sabe!_"

The three young macaws simply turned away and buried their faces into their siblings' belly feathers. Jewel broke their embrace and lifted Blu back to his feet. He drew several deep breaths and asked, "When did...you wake up?"

"If you must know Papa, we heard Mama yelling at you, and we just decided to watch the action. That was a _beautiful _poem that you told her, but the kissing that followed, was _not_!"

"Then don't watch next time. It's going to happen, whether you like it or not!"

The three full-grown macaws replied, "Thanks for those words of wisdom. We will be sure to follow them in the future!"

Jewel felt a rumbling inside of her that signaled hunger, and as she scanned the hollow for food, she saw not a lick of it. "Uh, Blu? I would like to have a nice family breakfast this morning, but look around and tell me what you see."

After a slight pause, he replied "Wow. We don't have a single bit of food in here! This could be a problem..."

"Well, why don't we solve it by going out and getting some! We aren't going to collect any by standing around and clacking our beaks."

"Good idea! Ricardo, Esperanza, and Vicente, you need to come and help. We have a lot of beaks to feed."

Blu, Jewel, and their three older children made their way towards the exit. Stefano, Liliana, and Josefina made to follow, but Blu stretched his wing out and stopped them.

"Just wait here, you three. We will be right back."

"But Papa, I want to help!" "So do I!" "I wanna go with you too!"

"Next time, you can come with us. _Eu prometo. _Now go back inside, and _do not _leave this tree."

The others had already flown off, and Blu glided from the entrance as he heard Jewel yell, "_Appresse-se, Blu!_"

"I'm on my way..."

The three macaws trudged back into the hollow and planted themselves against the wall. "Why does Papa always make us stay behind? It's not like we can't fly!"

Josefina rose to her talons and stood in front of her brother and sister.

"Don't get mad, Stefano. He wasn't trying to be rude, he just didn't need our help today. Didn't you hear him promise that we could help him in the future? He is just trying to protect us."

Her brother and sister jumped up and moved to stand between her and the exit. Both macaws glared disdainfully at Josefina, and Liliana snorted, "Protect us from _what_? Evil macaws? Lizards? Snakes? Yeah right! He is just being a..."

Josefina soon drew her focus from her sister, and stared instead at the deep black shadow that was now winding across the floor of the hollow. She began to tremble uncontrollably as a large, muscular serpent reared up behind her siblings and slowly opened its hinged mouth wide.

"...when he comes back, I am-Josefina? What's wrong?"

All she managed to say was, "T-turn around..." before she promptly fell backwards in a dead faint.

The two still-conscious macaws slowly swiveled around, and a towering snake met their gaze. "Hello, little chicksss! How are you doing today? Where are your parentsss?"

Stefano whispered, "Speaking of snakes..."

He and Liliana soon ended up just like their sister, sprawled out unconscious on the hard surface beneath them.

"Oh, lovely. Looksss I put the little onesss to sssleep! I hope their parentsss get back sssoon."

The viper slowly pulled the rest of his sinuous body into the hollow, winding himself up into a neat coil against the far wall. He did not have to wait long before he heard the excited chatter of a small group of birds approaching.

He perked his head up as five macaws glided into the hollow and dropped off an assortment of fruits that they had been carrying in their talons.

However, as they turned around, a horrific sight caught their eyes: their three chicks were spread out, unmoving, on the floor, and a large snake was coiled up in the corner.

Jewel screamed, "_Oh meu deus! É uma cobra!_"

She charged directly at the viper, and it hissed, "Jewel! Ssstop! It'sss me, Riphate! I came by to visssit!"

A flash of recognition lit her up her eyes, and she quickly brought herself to a halt just in front of him. "Riphate? Oh! How have you been!"

"Jussst fine! I have not ssseen you and your family in quite sssome time. It seems you have three new chicksss."

"Well, that's good. And yes, you are right. These three hatched out a few months ago. Speaking of which, why are they spread out on the floor like that? Did you hurt them?"

"No, not at all! I guesss I ssscared them ssso much that they fainted. I didn't mean to..."

"It's okay. At least you told the truth."

She walked over to her three silent chicks and began nudging them with her right foot. Riphate slithered over to her and asked, "Why do you look like your mate? Did sssomething happen?"

"Huh? What? Oh, you mean my eye and tongue? Well, let's just say that the same thing that happened to Blu, happened to me. You understand what I am saying, right?"

"Yesss. No need to explain."

A few minutes later, the three macaw chicks came to, and the first thing they saw was the blurry form of their mother hunched over them. "Get up, my children. It's time to eat."

However, they soon grew faint again as they caught sight of the snake coiled up behind her. Jewel noticed this, and she exclaimed, "Don't be afraid! Its just Riphate! He is a good friend of ours. He is basically part of our family! He won't hurt you."

They slowly got up, and as they continued to tremble, they asked, "A-are you s-sure, Mama?"

"Yes. Now go get something to eat."

They trotted over to the pile of fruit and nuts and began to eat, being careful to keep their gazes locked on the food before them. The five other macaws soon joined them and started to dine on the juicy feast that they had gathered.

Just before Jewel lifted a mango to her beak, she turned to Riphate and asked, "Do you want some? We have plenty of food."

"No thanksss. I prefer to eat food that isss ssstill alive."

Jewel merely nodded and dug her beak into the tasty fruit. After a few bites, Jewel turned back to the snake and asked, "So, has anything big happened to you since we last saw you?"

"Oh yesss! I just ssshed my ssskin two weeksss ago. It wasss harder than usssual though! I ssscraped ssso hard againssst a tree that I took the bark off!"

"Interesting. Although I don't even know what shedding is, it sounds strange. Why would any creature want to get rid of their skin?"

"That isss a good quessstion, Jewel. You sssee, I grow ssso much that I no longer fit in my old ssskin. It ssssplits open all over my body, and I have to rub it off."

"Oh. That makes sense, I guess. Any other news?"

"Let me think. Oh, I now have a mate, jussst like you!"

Jewel finished her mango and picked up a talon-ful of berries, popping them one by one into her beak. With an excited tone she replied, "Really? When?"

A few daysss before I ssstarted to ssshed. I wasss going after a lizard, when all of a sssudden, another sssnake grabsss it! I grew angry, and when I told the snake to give me my food, ss_she _ssswallowed it! Dessspite that, she wasss a lovely sssnake, and I ssspent the rest of the day with her. Well, I continued to visssit her every chance I would get, and jussst a few daysss ago, I asssked her to be my mate. And ssshe sssaid yesss!"

Jewel flashed a knowing smile and exclaimed, "Good for you, Riphate! Maybe you can invite us over to see her one day."

"I would be glad to! Perhapsss sssometime next week I will take you to her. I will ssshut up now ssso you can eat."

"Thanks, Riphate! I don't mind conversing while I am eating, but if you insist..."

Jewel resumed eating, and the food pile was nearly gone by the time she and the others had their fill.

Riphate said goodbye and slithered from the hollow as the macaws cleaned the stains from their faces.

Blu and Jewel then turned to their children, and they motioned for Josefina to come closer.

"Josefina, have you wondered why your talons are so long?"

"A little, Papa. Why?"

"Well, the are like that because you got them from me. And not only that, your right eye looks just like my left. We feel that you are old enough to know, so we are telling you now. We want you to know that you shouldn't be ashamed of what you have. You should be respectful of it instead."

To their surprise, she gazed down at her talons and started to weep. "Josefina? Are you okay?"

"What did...you say? My talons are bad enough. I can hardly walk with them, and now you tell me that my eye is ugly, like yours! Why did you wait until today to tell me!"

"We are sorry, dear. We just didn't want to make you feel less important than your siblings. It is okay to be different, dear."

"No it's not! I remember what Papa said you had told him a few days ago! You said he turned you into a monster! And now I look like one too! I don't want to be different! I want to be normal..."

Blu walked over to his daughter and tried to comfort her. "It couldn't be helped, Josefina. That is how you were born. I didn't know that you would take after me, and neither did your mother. I know it is hard to understand, but no one is to blame. If your mother and I have learned to live with it, then so can you."

She gave his wing a swat and stormed away to the other side of the hollow, still shedding tears. "Why did I have to be born! I don't want to look weird. Just leave me alone."

"Josefina..."

"No, Papa. You have already...hurt me enough. I don't want to listen to anything you have to say. Go away."

Blu pulled Jewel over to his side and whispered, "I guess I was wrong after all. How can we help her understand? She needs to learn that being different is just fine. I screwed everything up. I must be a terrible father."

"I know you are upset that things didn't go as planned, but just let her have some alone time. Forcing her to listen isn't going to help. It will only make it worse."

"I guess you are right. Maybe she will lighten up in a few hours."

Just then, Jewel formulated in idea that might help her calm down. "Ricardo, come here. I need to ask you something."

Their son, who was still disappointed in his sister's reaction, walked over to his mother and leaned in close.

"Would you mind taking her to your nest for awhile? Maybe she will calm down if she is away from us."

"If that is what you want, then yes, I will take her."

"Thank you. We will come and get her in the evening. Do your best to cheer her up, okay?"

"Yes, mother." Ricardo walked over to his sister and gently scooped her up. He carried her over to the exit and mumbled something in her ear as he set her down.

She quickly flashed a disheartened look at her parents before she whirled back around. Ricardo flew out of the tree, and Josefina followed right after him.

"I hope she changes her mood by the time we go to pick her up. I feel so bad for causing her grief."

"Hey, it's going to be fine, Blu. You felt just as bad when you discovered how you looked. It would be a shock to anyone. It was bound to happen. But she will recover soon enough."

"I sure hope you are right. Now, what can we do to take our minds off of this situation?"

"Hmmm. Why don't we go visit Rafael and Eva? They haven't seen us since the disaster at the Grand Palm. We don't even know if they made it out, and I bet that they don't know what happened to us, either."

"Oh my! I never thought of that. We need to go at once!"

Blu and Jewel turned to their remaining children and said, "You all are to stay here until we return. We don't know how long it will take, so try to stay occupied."

"Okay. Just be careful, and we love you." "We love you too. We will see you later."

The two macaws launched themselves from the tree, and they traced a direct path from their home to the home of the two toucans. They landed just outside the gnarled tree, and as they called out their names, the toucans in question swooped down and hugged the macaws tightly.

Much to their surprise, Pedro and Nico followed in their wake and joined in the group hug.

As tears of joy streamed from their eyes, they exclaimed, "We thought that you had died in the explosion! We never saw you come out! We are so happy that you are alive! Wait, why do you look like Blu?"

"We didn't know what happened to you, either! We saw a lot of dead birds, and we hoped that none of them were you. We didn't know what we would have done if anything bad had befallen you.

And if you must know, I was killed by a brick after the explosion. Blu somehow revived me, and...you know the rest."

"Well, I don't care about that, Jewel! All I care is that we are all safe and sound. Hopefully we can put that horrible night out of our minds for good."

The four birds drew back from them, and Blu silently disagreed with Eva's statement._Yeah right. What I saw that night will be with me for as long as I live. You can't witness that kind of horror and simply forget about it. That would be too easy..._

Rafael fixed Jewel in his gaze and asked, "Besides that, how have you been this last couple of days?"

Jewel looked at Blu as if to say: _Does he really want to know?_

Blu nodded in response, and after clearing her throat, Jewel said, "Just after the explosion..."

Jewel spent several hours recapping the recent chain of events, and Blu would occasionally pause Jewel's speech to add in extra information or answer a question that one of the others had come up with.

"...and so, that is when we decided to come check on you."

Nico and Pedro said nothing for a few moments as they let the torrent of events set in. "Woah. That is...just, wow. Looks like you have had your fair share of emotions these past few days! Why are your lives so crazy?"

"That is one question we will probably never be able to answer, Nico! Now, tell us about your lives."

The canary and cardinal didn't have much to elaborate on, so Rafael and Eva took their turn next. Their recollection was short in comparison to Blu and Jewel's, and it only took just over an hour.

They touched on everything from their kids to their upcoming honeymoon, and even their plans to move. Blu and Jewel grew anxious, but they reassured them that they wouldn't be leaving the sanctuary, and that they would only be searching for a more spacious hollow to inhabit.

The sun had traveled a considerable distance across the sky by then, and the two macaws felt that they needed to head home. They said their goodbyes to the four birds and flew away through the jungle, retracing their flight path from before.

Just as they arrived in the clearing, another concern popped into Jewel's head. "Hey, Blu?"

"Yes?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to see what became of the Grand Palm? We never did find out what happened to Kipo."

"I guess, Jewel. We still have a few hours of daylight left. I think that he made it out just fine, though. Remember, he was in the back of the club the whole time. He would have been the first one to leave."

"Good point. Well, let's get our tail feathers over there, then."

The two macaws exited the sanctuary area and made their way across the calm city. They found the bay-side street and followed it all the way to the site in question.

Blu and Jewel alighted on the light pole just across the street, and as Blu focused his vision down below, he had to blink several times to make sure that he was seeing correctly.

What used to be the site of the Grand Palm was now just a barren lot. Several small craters that had been caused by the bricks pockmarked the ground, and off to one side, a sizable crater signified the spot where the propane tanks had detonated.

"_É completamente desaparecido. _Its like it was never even there..."

"Yesterday, in the morning, I came by for a look. There was a group of men cleaning up all the rubble. Looks like they did a pretty good job, Blu."

"It is so strange. One day the Grand Palm was there, and the next, it is gone. They may have cleaned up the mess, but they can't clean up the scars that were left behind in all of the birds that escaped...me included. All of those families...destroyed. All of those bonds...severed. Those are things that cannot be mended."

"It is truly a tragedy beyond measure, Blu, but no one knew what was going to happen that night. It is a testament to the frailty of life. Hey, wait. I see a bird down there. Oh, my! Look who it is!"

Blu noticed a large pink bird leaning against a building just behind the lot. "Hey, it's Kipo! We better go see him!"

The two macaws lofted from the steel pole and flew down excitedly to the pink bird. As they landed, they noticed he was slumped against the wall and weeping. The two macaws walked up to him and nudged his spindly legs.

"Who's there?" *Sniffle* "What do you want?"

"Hello, Kipo. We came to find out how you have been these past few days. We know that what happened to the Grand Palm was horrible. Is that why you are crying?"

"Yes, that is why I am so torn up. I put so much effort into it." *Sniffle* "And now its gone...forever. Wait...who is talking to me?" *Sniffle*

Kipo moved away from the wall and brought his gaze down to his feet. "Oh my god! Blu! Jewel! Its you! Just the two macaws I wanted to see!"

"Of course its us! What did you need?"

His tears of sadness soon turned to tears of joy as a smile appeared on his face. "I am so glad that you made it out! I have something very important to ask you."

"What is that?"

"Well you see, Blu, this whole disaster has caused me to make a very important decision: I am going to retire from my status as a club owner. I want to continue the tradition though, and I was wondering if you would like to be the new club owners, in my absence."

Blu stared at Jewel with a shocked look on his face, and she returned the same expression.

After a few moments of silence, Jewel cleared her throat and replied, "Wow. That is a very kind offer Kipo, but we have a lot of responsibilities right now, what with our new chicks and my...modifications."

Kipo caught sight of Jewel's eye, but he did not care to know the _why _and the _when_. It was beside the point right now.

"Oh. Well, its just that you two have done so much for me, whether it was singing in my clubs or being the best friends that I could ever ask for. I am hoping to return the favor by giving you my position. So, what do you say?"

"Well, since you put it that way, I don't see how we can refuse. I guess we will take the job."

"Thank you! Thank you! I promise you will come to enjoy it!"

Kipo shook wings with the two macaws, lifting them slightly off of the ground in the process. "Okay, Kipo. We get it! You are welcome! Just one question though: Where is the club that we are supposed to own? I don't see one around here."

"I already have the answer to that question, Blu. You two are going to pick the club!"

"Wait, what? Could you repeat that?"

"I said, you are going to choose the site for your new club! I will take you to a spot that has lots of empty buildings! Let's go!"

Kipo soared into the sky, and the two macaws simply shrugged and flew after him. They flew west through the air, and pretty soon, a small cluster of buildings erupted below them.

"Look down there! One of those buildings is going to be your new club! Let's land for a closer look!"

The trio of birds flew down into the space between the buildings and did a quick tour of each one. The last building they visited was directly in the center, and it was the most obvious choice.

"Well Kipo, I think the middle one is our best bet. It looks like the largest one here, and we won't have to worry about out of control vehicles anytime soon!"

"Good observations, Jewel! Well, now that we have the site, we need to gather the equipment and decorations for it. I will probably spend the rest of the day tomorrow rounding up lots of stuff and bringing it here. Why don't you come by tomorrow so we can begin the construction?"

"I suppose we could. But, how are you going to find all the things that we need?"

"Oh, don't worry, Blu! I have plenty of...connections. Just leave it at that! I will fill you in on them in the future, so you can always bring in more equipment when you need it!"

"Whatever you say, Kipo!"

Blu noticed that the sky was now tinted a soft blue, and that meant that the sun had already set. He turned to Jewel and said, "Uh, Jewel? It is getting late. We need to go pick up our daughter and head home."

Jewel nodded and stared up at the towering Kipo. "Hey, we are going to go back home, Kipo. Are you sure you can handle it?"

"Of course! You just go home and get some rest. Everything will be ready to be installed tomorrow. Bye, and thank you again!"

The two macaws lifted off and traversed the city once more, their stomachs churning with anticipation for what the next day would bring. They had gone and retrieved Josefina from Ricardo's nest, and they could see that she had lightened up considerably.

On the way home, Josefina apologized to her parents and assured them that she would learn to appreciate the changes to her body. As they returned to their hollow, they had to console their children's worry, and explain as to why they had been gone nearly the entire day.

Blu and Jewel soon assuaged their fears, and the two macaws said goodbye to their parents. After they left, Blu and Jewel tucked the drowsy chicks into their nest and settled down into their own.

The three chicks soon drifted off to sleep, and their parents felt compelled to do the same. "Good night, Jewel. We better get some rest. We are going to need it for tomorrow!"

"Indeed, Blu! Good night to you, and sweet dreams."

The two macaws wrapped their wings around each other and passed silently into the dream realm. Despite the jittery emotions churning inside them, sleep came quickly, and they patiently waited for the laborious day that would arrive with the inevitable sunrise.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**Sim senhor.=Yes sir.**

**O que foi isso!=What was that for!**

**Isso foi apenas bonito. Como você se lembrar de tudo isso!=That was just beautiful. How did you remember all of that!**

**Que nojo! Peço-lhe que pare! Existem seis outras araras aqui, você sabe!=Gross! Would you please stop! There are six other macaws here, you know!**

**Eu prometo.=I promise.**

**Oh meu deus! É uma cobra!=Oh my god! It's a snake!  
><strong>

**É completamente desaparecido.=It's completely gone.  
><strong>


	5. Under Construction

**Chapter 5:Under Construction**

The next morning was as bright and sunny as ever, seeming to reflect the mood of the two macaws who had just roused themselves. The sun had risen quite high in the sky, and they realized that they had woken up late.

"Great, Blu. It's almost noon! I bet Kipo is waiting for us at that building!"

"Calm down, Jewel! We will head straight over there as soon as we finish eating! He is probably too busy to notice, anyways."

"Sorry! I guess I am just anxious to get started on the construction!"

Blu hopped lightly from the nest and over to the three macaws still snoozing in their nest. He patted each one on the head and said, "Wake up, you three. It's time to eat, and plus, we all have a very busy day ahead of us!"

One by one, his children popped their eyes open and gave tiny stretches.

"Good morning, Papa."

"I'm up."

"I was having a nice dream, you know."

They rose from the nest and drearily walked past him, stopping in front of the leftover fruit pile from the day before. He whirled around and joined them, feasting on the last remnants of two dragon fruit.

The macaw family ate in content silence, and after they had cleaned up, Stefano stared at his parents and asked, "What are we going to do today that is going to keep us busy, Papa?"

Blu smiled and replied, "Your mother and I are going to build a new club! Our good friend Kipo is gathering all of the decorations and equipment that we will need."

"Oooh, that sounds fun! Can I come?"

"What about me?"

"I wanna help! I wanna help!"

"Of course you can come! We are going to need all of the help that we can muster!"

Jewel turned to him with a disapproving look plastered on her face. "They are not coming with us, Blu. It is going to be too dangerous for them! They could get hit by something, or shocked, or stepped on, or..."

"I made them a promise yesterday, Jewel. I told them that the next time we would need help, I would bring them along. I am not going to disappoint them again."

Jewel grunted with frustration, but she ultimately relented. "Fine. They can come. But if anything happens to them, you will be answering to me. Got it?"

"Yes. I understand. But I won't need to, because I am a _very _responsible father!"

"Hmmph. We'll see..."

Their three children were soon bouncing all over the hollow, shouting excitedly all the while.

"Yes! Papa finally let us help!"

"I can't wait to see it when it's finished!"

"I want to see Kipo again..."

Amidst their joyous exclamations, Jewel leaned in close to her mate and said, "Way to go, sport. You just made their day! But, aren't we forgetting something?"

"What is that, Jewel? Oh, you mean our other children!"

"Exactly! I am sure they would love to come along as well!"

"Well then, let's head out and go get them! I am pretty sure they have already had their breakfast by now."

Jewel nodded and made her way over to the exit. Blu gazed at his three rambunctious children and said, "Come on, you three! We are going to pick up Esperanza, Vicente, and Ricardo!"

Blu walked over to Jewel and waited patiently for the macaws to hop their way over to him. He turned his head to Jewel and said, "You know, we need to think of a name for-"

As Josefina was making her way over to her parents, the talons on her right foot caught on a small knot projecting from the floor. She tripped and went flying forward, and her head plowed into Blu's lower belly.

His pupils shrank down as far as they could go, and his eyes popped. He fell flat on his back, and he was writhing from the crushing pain. Josefina picked herself up and gazed at her father. His talons were curled in , and he had folded his wings over his lower belly.

"Whoops! Sorry, Papa!"

In between heaving breaths, he moaned, "_É filha, tudo bem. _Don't...worry about...me. I hope...I can still...have kids..."

Josefina joined her brother and sister at Jewel's feet, and they all began snickering.

Jewel chuckled and gazed down at him. "Does it hurt?"

"More than you...will...ever know."

"That's why I was born a female. So I won't have to deal with situations like these!"

"Can...we switch...bodies. Please?"

"_Não em sua vida!_ I much prefer egg-laying than having to worry about my...sensitive spots. Now get up. _Está perdendo tempo!_"

Jewel gave him a sarcastic pat on the head and flew from the tree, her children close behind.

Blu staggered to his talons and muttered, "Very funny, Jewel. If...you only knew..."

Blu spread his wings and took off after them, although he wobbled in flight from the persistent ache deep inside him. Passing out of the clearing and into the jungle, they had no trouble in finding the trio of trees that belonged to their first three children.

Just as they neared them, all five macaws went into a hover, and Blu called out, "Vicente, Ricardo, Esperanza! How would you like to help us build a new club?"

One by one, three macaws poked their heads out, and their faces glowed with excitement. "Wait for us on the ground! We'll be right down!"

They disappeared back into their nests, and the others drifted down to the soft, mossy ground below. After a few moments of silence, the macaws I question dropped heavily down to the ground.

Vicente stepped forward and asked, "What's this business about a new club, father?"

"Yesterday, we went over to the Grand Palm to see what had happened to it. Everything had been cleared away, and all that was left was an empty patch of asphalt. Anyways, we saw Kipo leaning against an adjacent building.

We flew down to him, and he was crying over the fact that he had lost his club. He didn't notice us until we touched his legs. He told us that he had been looking for us, and he immediately grew jubilant.

He wanted to retire from being a club owner because of the accident, and he wanted us to take it. He called it 'continuing the tradition.' We didn't want to let him down, so we accepted.

He took us a short ways inland to a small group of buildings, and he led us on a tour of each one. We picked the center one as the site of our new club, and he told us that he was going to start gathering all of the stuff to decorate it with.

We are just about to head over there, and we wanted to know if you wanted to come."

Esperanza, Vicente, and Ricardo stared at each other for a few seconds before whirling back to face their father. Ricardo exclaimed, "Of course we will come! We don't mean to be rude, but that was a silly question, Papa!"

Blu shrugged and replied, "That may be, but you can never be too sure!"

Esperanza shouted, "What are we standing around for? Let's go!"

Blu and Jewel nodded and lifted into flight, and the other six macaws happily trailed in their parents' wake. After a short flight across the Sanctuary and into the city, Blu and Jewel searched for the bay-side road and followed it along its length.

As soon as they arrived at the all-too-familiar intersection, they veered right and flew above a side street. A few minutes later, Jewel noticed a flurry of activity down below, on her left side.

She focused her vision, and her right eye opened wide in response. The scenery below jumped into sharp detail, and she noticed several species of animals filing in and out of the central structure. "Blu! Look down there! Kipo has already started bringing the equipment!"

"Hey, you're right! Kipo must be working his tail feathers off for us! Let's get down there and get this show on the road!"

The eight macaws dive-bombed towards the ground and planted themselves just outside of an open steel door. They were pleasantly surprised to see all sorts of animals milling about, apparently very focused on the task at hand.

Marmosets, macaws, toucans, canaries, cardinals, roseate spoonbills, and even dogs comprised the workforce that Kipo had enlisted. However, the large pink bird was nowhere in sight, and the eight macaws opted to head inside and search for him.

They were momentarily distracted by the vast amount of space before them, and even as the helpers slowly streamed in, there was still plenty of walking room to be had.

"_Esse lugar é tão grande, _Mama!"

"I know, Esperanza! There is so much space to decorate! Just wait until it's finished!"

As they were talking, Liliana, Stefano, and Josefina spied a tall pink creature over in the far corner, and they made their way silently through the crowd. Jewel shook away the awe and scanned around for anything that resembled their spoonbill friend.

She soon found him standing in a corner, but her relief was short lived as she realized that her three younger chicks had vanished. "Blu? Where did Liliana, Josefina and Stefano go! Why weren't you keeping an eye on them?"

Blu immediately grew nervous, since he didn't know where they were at, either. "They were just right here! They couldn't have gone far! I will go look for them!"

He walked away and began picking through the crowd, calling their names the whole time. Even though she knew that Blu wouldn't hear her, she snorted, "You better find them, Mister. We haven't even been here five minutes, and you already lost them! Responsible? Yeah right..."

Blu had shouted their names several times and received no response. He stretched his head up above the crowd, and to his relief, he saw Kipo off to his right, in one of the corners.

He weaved through the sea of animals and approached him from behind. "Uh, Kipo? Have you seen my children? I can't find them anywhere!"

He turned around and fixed Blu in a warm smile, and as he pointed down at his feet, he exclaimed, "Oh hey, Blu! I am glad you showed up! Why don't you look down?"

He followed Kipo's directions, and clustered around his slender legs were three giggling macaws. They stared up at their father mischievously and chuckled, "Hi, Papa! You found us! What took you so long!"

Blu felt a flash of anger inside him at their running off, but he soon reassured himself that no harm was done. "You had me worried there, kiddos! I was afraid of having to face your mother if I didn't find you!"

His children continued their laughter, and Kipo fixed Blu in a commanding gaze. "Is Jewel here with you?"

"Yeah. She's right over...there, near the door."

"Good. Now we can start setting up! It would be nice to have this place finished by the end of the day."

"It sure would. Do you think we can do it?"

"Without a doubt, Blu! I brought all sorts of animals to help out, as you can see. They have been creating and outfitting clubs for a long time now, and they are all experts in a particular area. Follow me, so we can assign everyone their jobs!"

Kipo jumped into the air and glided over to where Jewel was standing.

"Come along, kiddos. We are just about to start setting up."

Blu joined the others at the head of the crowd, and his children soon gathered around him. As the helpers turned to face Kipo and the macaws, a welcome silence descended upon the room.

Kipo cleared his throat and declared, "As you have all heard by now, I have retired from my position of club owner. I would like to take the time to announce that these two macaws next to me have gratefully accepted the opportunity to fill my spot.

They are now the new co-founders and co-owners of this soon-to-be club. Let's give them a warm welcome!"

A loud cacophony of noises erupted from the helpers, ranging from whistles to barks, honks and even screeches.

"Okay, okay! Calm down everyone! Every species is going to have their own job to do, so that we can minimize confusion, maximize efficiency, and prevent injuries. Toucans: Wiring and electronics. Canaries and cardinals: Small lighting decorations. Dogs: All heavy lifting and moving. Macaws: Medium lighting decorations. Marmosets: Attachment and mounting of equipment and wood-related construction. Spoonbills: Furniture placement.

Blu and Jewel will have a sheet with all of the aforementioned information on it. If you forget your task, do not hesitate to ask. Lastly, all final construction and design orders come from them, and no one else. Understood?"

The plethora of animals all responded with a unanimous, "Yes!"

Blu and Jewel smiled and shouted, "Let's get to work!"

As the throng of creatures disbanded and began hauling the equipment and tools into the building, Kipo trotted over to the wall behind them and picked up a clipboard that had all of the jobs listed on it.

It resembled one of the clipboards that one would find at a doctor's office, but Blu did not care to ask how he had obtained it. Kipo handed it to Jewel, and it appeared as though the edges had been sawed off to make it manageable for a bird.

"Here you go, Jewel! It's all up to you and Blu now!"

"Thanks, Kipo! What are you going to do? Are you leaving?"

"Oh, heavens no! I am going to stick around and check up on everyone from time to time. I will be the first to let you know if something isn't how you want it to be."

"That is very kind of you! How can we ever repay you for all that you've done?"

"Simple, Jewel: Turn this boring old brick building into a club unlike anything Rio has ever seen before! If we get it finished today, I can bring an audience tomorrow for the inauguration! How does that sound?"

"That sounds wonderful!"

In the midst of their conversation, several piles of assorted equipment, lumber, and tools had started to litter the floor. Just then, a loud clank was heard as a German Shepherd and a Bulldog carried a spotlight rack in their teeth and set it down.

They turned to face the co-owners and asked, "Where do you want this?"

"We will be there in a second."

They gazed at their six children and declared, "We are going to help out now. You do what Kipo said and work with the other macaws. They need help bringing the lights in and sorting them. And please be careful! I don't want to have to explain to your mother why one of you has gotten hurt."

Their three older children countered, "Don't worry, Papa! We will watch over our siblings."

Their three younger chicks added, "Besides, Papa, we are just messing around with some lights? What could go wrong?"

The six macaws headed off to join the others as they filed out the door.

Blu and Jewel turned back to Kipo and beamed, "Bye, Mr. Spoonbill. Duty calls!"

He watched as the two macaws walked away from him and over to the panting dogs.

"With them overseeing the construction, this club is going to quickly become the most amazing in the whole city! And they own it! Give it a few months, and they will become the two most respected and popular birds in Rio!"

Kipo gazed out over the bustling animals below, and he caught sight of a Military Macaw that had become entangled in a string of lights. He smiled as he went over to help, and a humorous cry filled his ears: "Oh my! Help! These lights are attacking me! Ahhh..."

Blu and Jewel were deciding on the best place to install the spotlight rack, but it was proving to be a very difficult decision. Suddenly, as Jewel gazed up at the towering brick wall ahead, she concocted a solution.

"Hey, Blu. Look up at the wall. Do you see that long window that runs from one side to the other?"

"Uh, yeah? What about it?"

"We can have this light rack sit right beneath it! What do you say?"

"Hey, that is a sweet idea! Let's do it!"

Blu turned to the German Shepherd and declared, "This is going to go right under that window up there. Can you get it up that high?"

In a soothingly accented voice he replied, "Oh sure! Me and Tito here will get it done. Just watch!"

The two dogs went over to a pile of medium chains in the corner, clutching one each in their jaws and bringing it back to the light rack. They then went over to a pile of assorted shackle locks and grabbed two of them.

They tied a chain to each end of the rack and locked them in place. The next step was to get the rack lifted up to its chosen spot and screwed into place. Lucky for them, the lower edge of the window had a stout metal bar running along it, and Juan, the German Shepherd, knew just how to use that to their advantage.

"Hey Blu, get some spoonbills over here. If we can get these chains up and over that bar, we can use it to haul these lights up."

Blu turned and yelled, "I need some spoonbills over here, pronto! I have a job for you!"

Four spoonbills soon alighted down next to him, and they all wore anxious expressions. "What do you need help with?"

"I need you to loop these chains over that metal bar up there and drop them back down to us."

"You got it!"

Two spoonbills pinched each chain in their beaks and flew ten feet up to the bar. The long chains soon grew heavy, and just as they reached the bar, they let the ends slide from their beaks.

Thankfully, the chains landed on the bar, and gravity took over, causing them to run all the way back down to the ground. The spoonbills then landed, exhausted, but proud of their efforts.

"Alright, Juan! Let's do this!"

The two dogs secured each chain in their teeth and began walking slowly backwards. The chains soon went tight, and the rack slowly rose into the air. Blu knew that he had to get the marmosets in place to screw the rack in place.

"I need four marmosets over here, fast! Each one needs to have a drill and a screw ready!"

Soon after, four marmosets rushed up, and each one had a tiny drill with a screw mounted onto it. "Each of you are going to put a screw through the rack and into that metal bar. The spoonbills will carry you up there. Now go!"

Just as the rack bumped into the metal bar, each of the spoonbills grabbed a marmoset with their feet and flew up to the hanging rack. A few bursts of harsh sounds filled their ears as the screws entered the metal, and then the marmosets shouted, "Done! Now put us down!"

Blu looked at the two dogs behind him and said, "Slowly walk forwards again, so that the chains go slack."

They nodded and crept forward, and the spotlight rack began to sag. However, the projecting feet underneath met the brick wall, and the rack stopped moving. "It looks like it is staying. Now, all we have to do is remove the chains. Juan, Tito, give the keys to the marmosets."

The dogs nudged the keys over to them, and two marmosets grabbed them. Blu turned to the spoonbills once again and said," Take them up there so they can undo the locks."

The marmosets with the keys were lifted back into the air and dangled in front of the locks. Each marmoset inserted the key and slowly turned it. All of the animals below held their breath as the locks popped open, causing the chains fell to the ground with a loud, metallic _crash._

Much to their relief, the spotlight rack remained in place, and they all have short cheers of triumph. Blu turned to the animals before him and shouted, "Well done, you guys! Take a short break, because we are going to repeat this three more times..."

One hour later, the three other light racks had been installed flawlessly beneath the other three windows, and the animals who had helped out had been given a long break to recuperate. Blu and Jewel now turned their attention to the neat mountain of wood in the corner.

"What do you think the marmosets can build with this, Blu?"

"Hmmm. Bring them over here. I think I have the perfect solution!"

Jewel vanished momentarily, and when she returned, fifteen marmosets accompanied her, and they were carrying several mini-drills, tape measures, hacksaws, and a few boxes of screws.

"First off, we are going to need a bar, and it needs to be in the corner with the north wall and the east wall. Once you build that, use the rest of the wood for the stage. How do you think it should look, honey?"

"Who? Me? Oh, I don't know! I am not much of a design-oriented macaw. Why don't you pick?"

"No, Jewel. I insist! I can't take all the credit for this place! You deserve to put your personal touch on it too!"

She gave a discontented sigh and replied, "Fine. How about we shape the stage like a...semicircle? It can extend from the middle of the south wall, curve around in front of the west wall, and end at the middle of the north wall! Oh, and I think it should have two levels as well. Can you guys handle that?"

The band of marmosets turned away from Jewel to the wood, and then back to Jewel. Confident smirks grew on their faces, and they replied, "I think we can make it work. Hop to it, boys!"

A few of the marmosets scampered over to the pile of wood and dismantled it, while the others measured the dimensions that they would need.

"Okay, what is next, Blu?"

He noticed the group of macaws standing next to a large jumble of lights, and they were waving their wings in the air.

"_Eu acho que essas araras quer pendurar as luzes se! _We better not keep them waiting!"

Blu and Jewel made their way over to the macaws through the hustle and bustle. A beautiful Scarlet Macaw stepped forward and gave Blu a quick hug, before stepping back and shaking his talon.

"_Olá! Eu sou Vanessa! Onde você gostaria essas luzes para ir?_"

Jewel glared at her as she spoke, but thankfully, Vanessa didn't notice.

_Ela teve o melhor relógio-se em volta do meu marido...  
><em>

Blu took no notice of Jewel's hostility, either, and he happily replied, "_Acho que minha esposa pode lidar com isso._"

Jewel immediately straightened her mood, and she gazed at the myriad of colored lights before her.

After a thoughtful pause, she concluded, "I think that the multicolored lights should run down from the ceiling to the floor in each corner. Put some of the blue lights around the frame of the door over there, and use the rest for the bar, when it is finished.

The red lights will be for the stage, and the green lights should run along the base of each wall. _Será que todos vocês entendem?_"

The group of twenty macaws all replied with a harmonious "_Sim, _Jewel!"

"Make us proud, then!"

The macaws carefully snatched the lights up in their talons and set off to attach them to their designated locations with the roll of red tape that Vanessa was holding.

The last thing that they could see required their attention was four columns of bird-sized clay flowerpots that would serve as chairs. Arranged next to the flowerpots were several short, one foot diameter wooden tables.

Blu and Jewel stared in awe at the smooth, polished cherry wood tables, and they simultaneously wondered where and how Kipo had acquired these fancy objects, not to mention everything else that had been brought in.

_I wonder what kind of "connections" Kipo has? He sure must have a lot of them, and they obviously give him high-quality merchandise!_

The spoonbills that had been resting for the past two hours after the ordeal with the spotlights now noticed two macaws standing amidst the furniture. They determinedly walked over to them and asked, "Would you like to have us set these up?"

The macaws gazed around at the flurry of activity, and they realized that they should hold off on putting the tables and chairs out until later in the day.

Blu responded, "Not now, guys. It is too crowded in here right now. We don't want the tables to get knocked over or the chairs to get broken. Let's wait until the rest of the animals have finished their jobs."

"Oh, right! Just call us when you are ready..."

Five hours later, the club was coming along nicely, and Blu, Jewel, and Kipo stood on the now completed stage and surveyed the situation.

"Let's see. The spotlights are up, the strings of lights are all in place, and the bar and stage are finished. What else are we missing, Jewel?"

After a slight pause, she replied, "All that's left is to get the tables and chairs in place and clean up."

Kipo's eyes then grew wide as he realized that they were overlooking several crucial facts. "Uh, Jewel? You are forgetting four things: the toucans still have to wire all of the lights and such, we still have to install the disco ball, bring in the speakers, _and _come up with a name for this place!"

"Wow! I never thought of those things! Why don't we set up the speakers and disco ball while the toucans get everything connected to this club's power source. Blu and I will be thinking of a name while all of that is going on."

"Good idea! Let's hurry! The sun is already setting, and these are the last things that need to get sorted out!"

Jewel nodded to him, and Blu called out to the toucans, who were busy separating out the various types of power cords. The group of ten or so dazzling birds marched up and gathered at the foot of the stage below.

"We have all the electrical cords sorted out, Blu. Is everything ready to be hooked up?"

"For the most part. Start wiring up everything that needs wired while we bring in the speakers and disco ball. By the time we get those set up, we hope you have connected the rest of the stuff. Once you get those final two things wired, we can power this place up and see what works, and you can fix what doesn't. Clear?"

"Yes! We got it."

"Alright then. Get to work."

The toucans disbanded and began hauling the cords over all over the club. Kipo led the two macaws outside and stopped in front of the west wall. Five shapes lay concealed beneath heavy black sheets, and Kipo moved over to them and yanked them off with a flourish.

He revealed a well- crafted motorized disco ball, along with four speakers that stood as tall as he did. Blu and Jewel went back inside to enlist the help of Tito and Juan.

The two dogs lifted the items onto a wheeled cart and rolled them into the club, one by one. Two of the speakers were placed on the lower level of the stage, about halfway along the arc on either side.

The remaining two were set up directly across from them, and they sat two feet off the floor on their own sturdy, wooden platforms.

The disco ball was hoisted into place by the Tito and Juan in the same manner as the spotlights, and the metal base plate was firmly screwed into the wooden ceiling. The toucans had finished their task, and half an hour later, the speakers and ball had been wired as well.

The on/off switches that were used to control the power flow were situated far on the right side of the west wall, and that is where all of the electrical cables ran to. Each of the equipment groups had their own switch, allowing them to be controlled separately.

The spotlight cords ran along the walls, the disco ball line ran across the ceiling and down the west wall, and the cords that supplied the light strings ran along the bases of their respective walls and behind the stage.

With that finished, Blu, Jewel, and the spoonbills moved the tables and chairs into place, doing their best to space them as evenly as possible about the floor. They returned to the stage once more and focused on choosing a name for their club.

Sadly, they had been so engrossed with their efforts that neither Blu nor Jewel had any ideas.

Kipo, however, had already solved that problem. "I want you two to wait here. I have a little surprise for you, and it should pretty much guarantee this place a name!"

Kipo rushed back outside, and after a few tense minutes, he wheeled in the small cart with a pleasant grin on his face. Stacked neatly on the wooden cart were several twisted glass forms, and they came in a variety of colors.

Kipo gently removed them and spread them out on the ground as the other workers gathered around them.

"What in the world are those?"

"These, Jewel, are neon signs. They are all shaped into words, and they are designed to light up once powered up. Read them and decide which one you want to be used as the name of your club."

Blu and Jewel scanned the ghostly glass tubes from left to right, mentally comparing the sounds of each of them.

They read: _The Bayside Lodge. Pôr do sol sobre Rio. The Ipanema Experience. O Palácio do Samba. Carlito's Place. A Palmeira Azul._

"I like the second, fourth, and last ones, Jewel? You?"

"The only one that I like is...the last one. It has the word 'palm' in it. Kipo wants us to continue the tradition, right? What better sign to use than that one?"

"Hey, that's right! It has a certain ring to it, too! I think it is a splendid choice! But, where should we hang it up? It has to be in a special place, where everyone can see it!"

They did a three-sixty scan of the room, and Jewel knew just where to put it. "Let's hang it above the stage, about six inches below the spotlights!"

"Yes! The whole club will be able to see it from there. Let's get it up!"

After it had been positioned just right and bolted into place, the toucans connected it to the last available switch. Meanwhile, Kipo had slipped outside with the neon signs and hid them, and he returned shortly after with an ornate neon shape in his beak.

He lofted onto the stage and yelled, "Hold on! That sign needs one more special touch! Help me get this up!"

The glass palm was installed just below the neon sign and wired to the same switch as the one above. "I think we need to shed some light on this situation! Jewel, would you like to do the honors?"

A deep purple curtain was suspended on a curved metal rod that would conceal the upper level of the stage, and it was pulled back far enough so that the switches were visible.

Kipo beckoned her with his wing, and after a gentle nudge from her mate, she walked over to them. Every single soul in the darkened building held their breath as Jewel forced the switches up to the on position.

A loud hum filled the air, and after a few gut-wrenching seconds, the club was filled with the dazzling glare from all of the lights. In addition, the disco ball was revolving steadily, and the four speakers were letting out a steady crackling noise.

A loud cheer erupted from the throng of animals below as and they all hugged and thanked one another. Amidst the cacophony of noises, the two macaws turned and gazed at the gentle light from the neon sign.

The first and second words glowed a soft red, and the word "azul" was an equally smooth shade of blue. The trunk of the palm tree underneath was a rich green color, and the leaves were a more strongly hued blue.

Blu and Jewel swiveled back around to face the crowd, and to their surprise, Kipo had joined them.

A hush fell upon the space once more, and after the two macaws flashed quick glances at each other, they spoke to the animals below in unison: "Words cannot express how proud we are of all that you have accomplished today.

True, we were the ones who planned how the club was going to look, but _you_ were the ones who made it happen. We all worked together in order to make this dream, _our _dream, a reality. We-"

Kipo suddenly remembered that a few positions had to be filled, and he briefly flew up to Blu and whispered in his ear. Blu nodded, and Kipo descended back down to his spot so he could continue.

"We owe you our deepest thanks for the effort you put in today. However, there are a few jobs that need to be occupied, and we would like to fill them tonight. First off, is there anyone who would like to be the light and audio controller?"

After a short silence, a Scarlet Macaw shouted, "I will gladly be this club's tech macaw! My name is Rinaldo, and I have been the technical controller at several other clubs all across Rio."

Blu replied, "Thank you, Rinaldo! We are glad to have you! Now, who would like to be the bartender?"

A large number of wings shot up this time, but one was waving more enthusiastically than the rest. The wing belonged to a toucan, and she quickly showed her want for the job.

"My name is Alicia, and I would love to be the bartender!"

Jewel was the one to reply, and she said, "Okay! You got the job! Who's next, Blu?"

"We would like to have a messenger, and we have already chosen that position. Since Kipo is our closest friend among all of you, he will be the one to keep us up to date on our club. On the nights where we cannot attend, due to personal reasons, Kipo will fill in for us.

He will also be the one to spread the word as to when the club will be open to the public. We will be having a grand-opening assembly tomorrow, and it will commence as soon as the sun has set.

Tell your friends and family, and invite who you wish. Since we are going to be serving alcoholic drinks, please think carefully about bringing your children along, for those of you that have them. Anything else, Jewel?"

"I think that pretty much covers it! Thank you once again for your efforts! You are all free to go home! But before you leave, let me say one thing: the Blue Palm is born!"

More cheering erupted from the creatures below, and many of them came up and hugged the two macaws before exiting the club.

As soon as the entire crowd had departed and gone home, save for their six tired children, Blu turned to Jewel and whispered, "_Nós fizemos isso, meu amor._"

"_Na verdade nós fizemos, querido._"

Blu twirled Jewel around twice, before stopping her and planting a warm kiss on her beak. The two macaws remained locked together for several minutes, much to the disgust of their children.

Jewel exhaustedly pushed away from her mate and said, "We better head on home now, Blu. We have a crazy day ahead of us, and we can't afford to let the party animals down."

"You are right, honey. I will bet you my normal eye that our children are as drained as we are."

Esperanza, Ricardo, and Vicente shouted, "You got that right, father! Can we please go home? Our feathers are about to fall off!"

Liliana, Stefano, and Josefina added, "We can barely keep our eyes open..."

After Blu resolutely shut the club down, plunging it into darkness once more, he and Jewel made for the door, and six dreary macaws followed languidly in their wake.

Bathed in the light of a full moon, the macaw family cut through the cool night air towards their distant jungle abode.

Although their minds were weak and their wing-beats heavy, the silvery gaze of the moon instilled a sense of anticipation deep within the souls of Blu and Jewel. They knew that tomorrow would be a chance to strengthen their bond of love, _and_ please the audience that would show up to witness their very own creation, all at the same time...

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

****É filha, tudo bem.=It's okay, daughter.****

******Não em sua vida!=Not on your life!**  
><strong>**

****Está perdendo tempo!=You're wasting time!****

****Esse lugar é tão grande.=This place is so big!****

****Eu acho que essas araras quer pendurar as luzes se!=I think those macaws want to hang the lights up!****

**Olá! Eu sou Vanessa! Onde você gostaria essas luzes para ir?=Hi! I am Vanessa! Where do you want these lights to go?**  
><strong>**

**Ela teve o melhor relógio-se em volta do meu marido...=She had better watch herself around my husband...**

**Acho que minha esposa pode lidar com isso.=I think my wife can handle that.**

**Sim.=Yes.  
><strong>

**Será que todos vocês entendem?=Do all of you understand?**

**Pôr do sol sobre Rio.=Sunset over Rio.**

**O Palácio do Samba.=The Samba Palace.**

**A Palmeira Azul.=The Blue Palm.**

**Nós fizemos isso, meu amor.=We did it, my love.**

**Na verdade nós fizemos, querido.=Indeed we did, dear.  
><strong>


	6. A Palmeira Azul

**Chapter 6:A Palmeira Azul**

Much to their surprise, the family of macaws did not wake to the usual glare of the sun the next morning. Instead, they were startled awake by a blast of chilled air, and their home seemingly provided little protection against it.

The best they could do was huddle together and try to maintain their body heat.

"This is one c-crazy morning to w-wake up to, Mama. I don't like the cold!"

"I know, Liliana. I don't think anyone in this hollow does. Maybe if we get some food in our stomachs, it will give us an energy boost."

In response, Jewel's stomach croaked for a few seconds, and Blu's followed shortly after, letting loose a deep rumble. Blu broke away from the huddle and perched at the edge of the exit, peering inquisitively at the cloudy sky outside.

He turned back to his family and said, "Cold or not, we still need to go collect some food. Are you coming, honey?"

Jewel nodded happily before staring down at the three quivering bodies clustered around her. "You all are to stay here and wait for us to come back. We won't be gone long. I just hope your father can stay awake long enough to make it home!"

"Okay, Mama!"

"Bye!"

"We will be right here when you come back!"

She gave them all a tender pat with her wing before joining her mate. After they lifted off and flew across the clearing, Blu gave his mate a condescending look.

"What was that for?"

"For your little 'comment' about my sleep issues! I can handle the cold just fine. All I have to do is keep myself moving."

"Hmmph. I guess it shouldn't be a problem, considering how much you run your beak. Everytime..."

In the midst of their "discussion," they had entered the jungle to the north of their home, and Jewel spied a tree sagging with mangoes up ahead.

"Look, Blu. I see a bunch of mangoes on that tree over there. How about you focus more on flying and less on arguing, so we can get those fruits and get home?"

"Oooh! A subject change! How proper of you. Focus on this!"

Blu charged at Jewel and began flying circles around her, and she grew distracted by his antics.

"Hey! Very funny, mister! I can't see! Cut it out!"

Blu simply continued his orbits around her, and as soon as Jewel saw an opening, she dashed forward with a powerful stroke of her wings. However, she had ended up right in his path, and as he came up from underneath, he slammed into her.

They both went flying forward, and after a brief tumble through the air, they ended up crashing into the fruit-laden mango tree.

"Ow! Way to go, Blu!"

"It wasn't my fault! You were the one who tried to escape!"

"Whatever! At least we found the tree! Let's get picking. We-"

Just as Jewel tried to extricate herself from the tree, she lost her balance and slipped from the wet branch. As soon as she fell, her talons caught on the super-long ones that belonged to Blu.

He was pulled from the branch along with her, and they ended up on the ground in a cloud of dust. Blu was laying on top of his mate, and the dust was causing them both to choke.

"You...see! Your fault, _honey_!" *Cough*

"I can't help *Cough* that the branch was wet with dew! Now get off of me! *Wheeze* I can't breathe!"

Jewel forced herself up and flung Blu off of her in the process. He ended up on his back right in front of her, and as he looked up, he noticed that the branch they had fell from was still shaking.

Just as he tried to get up, a mango broke loose from the quivering branch, and it fell down directly on his head. Jewel dropped to the ground and started laughing hysterically at Blu's misfortune.

As the mango slid from his head and plopped onto the ground, all of his head feathers had been stuck together with the gooey insides of the fruit.

"Oh! Ha ha ha! Look at your feathers! Have fun cleaning that off! Man, this is rich! You..."

Blu tried his best to ignore Jewel's laughter, but it irritated him deeply nonetheless.

"I will show you rich!" He picked up the half-ruined mango and chucked at her quivering form. It pounded her in the chest with an audible _splat_, and she immediately ceased her laughter.

It had clumped most of her chest feathers together, including the tuft that sprouted right in the middle from her long-healed chest wound.

"There! Now we are even. Can we just get home now? No more messing around. I am starving!"

Jewel stared at her matted feathers in slight disbelief, but she soon realized that Blu was right. "Point well made, Blu. I guess we should be getting home..."

They managed to pluck five mangoes from the tree and carry them home. Blu had avoided his sleep problem just like he said he would, much to his and Jewel's relief.

They dropped the fruit off at their home before flying back out to wash the mango stains off at the pool that they so often used. After they had returned and dined on the succulent fruit with their children, an idea popped into Blu's head.

"Jewel?"

"Yes?"

"I was thinking that we should sing at The Blue Palm tonight. I mean, we _are _the co-owners! I think it is fitting that we give a performance at the inauguration."

"Hmmm. You are right! But, what will we sing, exactly? Are we going to have to come up with a whole song again? That takes a long time."

Blu racked his brain for an answer, and after a meditative pause, he knew just what to do. "We won't have to come up with anything, Jewel! I remember a song that Linda used to play all the time back in Minnesota. She played it because it helped lighten the mood on those days where it was really cold and cloudy."

"Really? Well, that's nice. How does it go? And what parts are you and I going to sing?"

"We will sort that out as we go along. Oh, and I have to make a few changes to the words, just for us. The first line goes like this..."

As their children sat and listened intently, Blu repeated the song to Jewel, pausing only to indicate where they would switch off, or where their duet would start. After he had pointed out where he had changed the lyrics, he and Jewel ran through the song twice more.

The entire session lasted four hours, much shorter than the last time they had rehearsed for a performance. Still, they had no way to judge what time it actually was, thanks to the sheet of griseous clouds that were obscuring the sun.

"Do you have the song down, Jewel?"

"Uh, yeah. I like it, actually. It's very catchy! No wonder Linda likes it!"

Blu walked over to the edge of their hollow and gazed out once again. "Yeah. It is sure to be hit when we perform it tonight! But how will we tell when the sun has set? I can't even see it!"

Jewel was concerned as well, but she had faith that someone would come and warn them ahead of time. She walked up behind Blu and stroked his back with her wing.

"It's okay, Blu. Remember, Kipo said he was going to spread the word about the club. I am pretty sure that a certain canary and cardinal are going to come! They might even stop by here and chat. I bet that they are going to sing a song just like we are!"

As Jewel concluded her sentence, Blu spotted two colorful figures emerge from the left side of the clearing, trailed by three smaller shapes. His superior sight brought them into sharp detail, and he instantly recognized who they were. He backed away from the edge and turned to his mate.

"What is it, Blu?"

"I see two birds coming this way. Two Scarlet Macaws, to be precise, and it looks like they are bringing their chicks."

"Scarlet Macaws? Who are you...oh! But, why would they come here?"

"We're about to find out."

A few moments later, the two ornate macaws in question landed in the hollow along with their chicks, and they all wore pleasant smiles.

"Well, hello Blu! Hello, Jewel! It's been awhile, hasn't it?"

Blu went up to Maricela and gave her a warm hug, followed by a firm talon-shake with Frank. Jewel soon did the same, not wanting to seem unfriednly to the two macaws who had helped her after her "accident."

"It sure has, Maricela! How has your family been?"

"We've been great! The chicks are growing so fast, you know. We hardly have any time for each other!"

"What about you and Jewel? I trust all has been well, just the same."

"Oh, yes! These three guys are growing up just as fast as yours! They might have to move out pretty soon! No, I am just joking! But still, we have had it pretty easy."

"That's nice. It's good to see our friends faring well i this crazy world."

Blu smiled in response and peered down at the three scarlet birds standing at her feet. "What are your names?"

One by one, the three macaws stepped forward and happily replied to Blu's query.

"I am Leo!"

"My name is Joaquin!"

"My name's Valeria!"

Blu gave them each a pat with his wing before stepping back to stand by Jewel. Maricela looked over at Blu's children before turning back to her own. "Why don't you go play with Blu's children, you three? They might want to be your new friends! Go on!"

They gazed briefly at their mother before heeding her advice, slowly walking to the other side of the hollow where the three blue macaws were standing.

Jewel stared at Maricela and asked, "So, what brings you here on this dreadful day?"

"Oh, we caught word of a new club in town from some of our friends. I take it that you and Blu are the owners, right?"

_Kipo sure knows how to spread the news!_

"Right! We just had it finished yesterday. We are going to perform there tonight."

"That's wonderful! We came by to tell you that we are too!"

"Wait, what?"

"Frank and I have decided to do our own little song as well. We haven't been to a club in a very long time, and we think that now is the perfect time to try it out. Not only that, we are going to sing our song in Portuguese!"

Blu and Jewel stared each other in shock for a few moments, but their shock soon morphed to admiration. "Wow. We weren't expecting that! Are you two nervous at all?"

"Just a little, to be honest! But we think that will go away once we start singing."

"Well, that's good! We-"

Jewel's reply was cut short as the loud chatter of what sounded like four birds filled the hollow. Frank walked over to the exit hole and caught sight of a red bird, a yellow bird, and two large black ones.

"Who is that, Blu? Come here."

Blu rushed over and peered out just the same.

"Just some old friends. I think that they found out about the club just like you! We better make room!"

Blu jumped back from the exit after Frank, and he turned to face his mate. "Pedro, Nico, Eva, and Rafael are coming. We need to make room for them."

After a quick scan of the already crowded hollow, Jewel realized that there was no more room. "We have to go outside, Blu. We can't possibly fit them in here! Don't you see!"

"Hmmm. I guess you are right. Let me go tell them..."

Blu flew quickly from the hollow and hovered right in the path of the four birds. Blu told them to wait on the ground, since the hollow could not accommodate them.

They nodded and flew down to the base of the tree, and Blu went back up to bring the rest of the birds down. As soon as the visitors were gathered down below, Pedro and Nico introduced themselves to Maricela and Frank, and then the two Scarlet Macaws returned the greeting.

After that had been sorted out, Pedro and Nico got down to business. They informed Blu and Jewel that they had received news of their new club, and that they were also going to sing a number there.

Rafael and Eva spoke next, and they decided that they were only going to go watch the others, and they would not be taking part in any singing. It took Blu, Jewel, and the others a few minutes to soak in the information, and they realized that tonight was going to be crazier than any of them would have expected.

Blu faced the now excited crowd and said, "So, not only are Jewel and I going to sing, but so are Maricela, Frank, Nico, _and _Pedro! What order are we going to sing in, though?"

Pedro and Nico exclaimed, "We will go first, Blu!"

"I guess Frank and I will go next."

"I guess that leaves us for last, Jewel!"

"That's fine with me! By then, the club will already be pumped up for our grand finale!"

Just then, Blu caught sight of a familiar, but ragged, blue macaw piercing the north side of the clearing. He said nothing as the macaw alighted down in the midst of them and fixed Jewel in a powerful gaze.

"Father? Is that you?"

"Indeed it is. I came by to tell you how proud I am of your new club. I am going to stop by for a few hours, if that is okay with you."

She walked up to her father and folded him tightly in her wings. She then drew back and replied, "Thank you, father. I don't mind at all. Blu and I are going to sing, and so are Nico, Pedro, and the two toucans."

"How wonderful! I can only imagine how crazy it is going to be! This will be a night that I won't soon forget! Oh, may I ask what happened to your eye?"

"Oh, uh, I had a tiny accident at a club a few weeks ago. Blu had to, uh, save me, and this is how I ended up."

_Tiny accident? Yeah right! Jewel died, and after I revived her, she went ballistic! I guess she doesn't want Vicente to worry. She is one smart bird!_

Vicente merely nodded, apparently understanding what Jewel was implying, and not wanting to press the issue. He then took the time to introduce himself to the two Scarlet Macaws.

As Jewel gazed around at the plethora of animals before her, she wondered if anyone else was going to show up. The only bird that she hadn't seen was Kipo.

_I wonder when Kipo is going to pop up? He must be so excited for tonight! I bet he has some stuff to tell us._

Half an hour later, just as she expected, the large spoonbill landed among the others, and he was visibly excited. After the throng of birds exchanged greetings, he walked over to Blu and Jewel and began informing them of what he had done over the past day.

"I brought four barrels of drinks for the club, and I got them set up and ready for use. I also got a hold of a band to come and play for us. The instruments are already in place, so all we have to do is wait for the members to show up.

I have been working all day getting everything organized for tonight! Are all of you coming to the club? What about the chicks?"

Jewel replied, "Yeah. We are all going. But I don't know what we are going to do with the children."

Blu turned and gazed at Maricela, and he could only think of one option. "I think that we will have to leave the chicks here. That is, if Maricela doesn't mind."

"I guess. I mean, we don't have anywhere to take them. They have each other to play with, and we won't be gone too long."

Blu nodded, and then turned back to Kipo, slowly asking, "When is the club going to open?"

"In about four more hours. I am going back there to help Rinaldo get his equipment set up. If I were you, I would take a short nap to pass the time. You all want to have a clear head, so that you all can perform to the best of your abilities."

Kipo watched as most of the other birds nodded in agreement, and then he proceeded to finish his speech. "I am going to head off now. You can come early if you like, but there won't be much to do. I am going to open the club an hour early, so that we can start filling up. I wish all of you the best of luck tonight!"

Kipo smiled and flew off, and after his pink form faded into the jungle, many of the other birds followed suit after saying goodbye to their friends.

Maricela's chicks stayed behind, and all eight macaws flew back up to Blu and Jewel's hollow for a quick rest. After a few hours had passed, nature found its own way to notify them that they had an event to attend.

The group of macaws was once again torn from their sleep, only this time, it was by a bright flash of lightning, followed by a deep rumble of thunder.

They all jumped out of their nests, and Blu and Jewel immediately prepared themselves to leave. Blu quickly fluffed up his feathers and made for the exit, with Jewel in his wake.

"You six are to stay here until either we or your parents return. This weather might get worse, and you don't want to be caught out in it. Do NOT leave this hollow, and try to keep yourselves occupied. We will return as soon as possible. Stay safe, all of you."

Maricela's children replied, "Okay. We will just be playing with your chicks. Nothing will happen. We promise."

Jewel's children added, "Don't worry, Mama. We will watch over each other."

The two macaws nodded and blasted from the hollow, flying as fast as they could towards their distant destination. Braving the assault of the storm upon their senses, they finally ended up at The Blue Palm, quickly making their way inside through the partially open door.

As they gazed around, they recognized a few faces from the night before. Kipo was helping Rinaldo connect all of the wires from the equipment to his control box and turntables that were set up in the corner of the east and south walls.

Alicia the toucan was setting up small stacks of paper cups on the bar and wiping it down. Behind her were four sizable barrels, mounted on a sturdy wooden rack.

Each of them bore a label that identified their contents. From left to right, they read: _Mango Massacre. Star fruit Slaughter. Dragon fruit Disaster. Coconut Coma._

"Wow. Those must be some strong drinks to have names like that! Are you going to try any?"

"No way, Blu! I am not about to traumatize my lovely body with that stuff! I don't want to get up on that stage like a drunken freak, either. I am NOT going to risk humiliating myself in front of this entire club."

"Suit yourself! I wasn't going to drink any, either. I just wanted to see your reaction."

Jewel glared at him with her right eye, and he quickly looked away. "Hey, there's Kipo! Let's go talk to him!"

Blu jetted off to his friend, and Jewel followed in his wake, obviously annoyed at Blu's actions.

"Hello, Kipo! Is everything ready?"

Kipo plugged a gold-tipped cable into Rinaldo's gray control box before whirling around to his friend.

"Hey, Blu! Everything is just about set up. Rinaldo has everything connected, and Alicia over there has the bar prepared. The club will open in just under an hour, but I will go ahead and open the door for the early birds, pardon the pun!"

Just as Kipo finished talking, a loud clap of thunder shook the building, and a steady downpour of rain began to pound a rhythm on the windows above.

"Oh, great. Now it's raining! What if nobody shows up, Kipo? What then?"

"Oh, nonsense, Blu! This is a night too important to miss! I am sure that this club will be packed out in another hour or so."

Kipo walked over to the tall steel door, and just as he reached it, frantic shouting was heard coming from the other side. "Oh my! Looks like I was right! Some birds are already showing up!"

He heaved the door open, and a small group of birds trudged inside, their rain-soaked bodies dripping water all over the floor. "Welcome to The Blue Palm! We have about an hour until opening time!"

A sodden toucan replied, "Thank...you. That is some storm...out there! This is the perfect place to get some shelter from it!"

The birds walked deeper into the club and sat themselves down at one of the tables. Blu turned to his mate and said, "Well, I guess it's time to play the waiting game..."

After more and more soaked creatures continued to file in, including the canary and cardinal, Rafael, Eva, the two Scarlets, and Jewel's father, Kipo briefly left his post to illuminate the neon signs above the stage and and the strings of lights on the walls.

After Blu and Jewel had a chat with them and walked off, Mauro and a few of his servants scampered in and shook themselves dry. The two macaws trotted over to him and gained his attention with a warm, "Hello!"

Mauro looked up at them, and his eyes were wide with amusement. "Well, hello, you two. Come to sing tonight in this fancy place of yours?"

Blu beamed at the marmoset and replied, " Yes, we are going to sing, but we are going to do it last, after a few of our friends. Are you going to stick around to see it?"

"Of course. That is the whole reason why we came. Right, boys?"

"Right!"

"Great! Well, we will see you later. We had better get up to the stage and get things started!"

Kipo was already waiting for them on the upper level of the stage, and they quickly joined him. To their right, a large assortment of instruments reclined on the lower level, and their owners were busy looking them over and testing them out quietly.

Kipo and the two macaws gazed out over the now populous club, and they decided that it was time to get things started. Blu and Jewel looked towards the back at Rinaldo, and he waved a wing, indicating that he was ready.

They looked up at Kipo, and after they gave a quick nod, he snatched a bird-sized wireless mic from one of the stands. As Rinaldo focused a beam of white light on each of them, Kipo began to speak.

The four speakers boosted his voice, easily overpowering the roar of the typhoon outside. "Attention, everyone! Tonight is the grand opening of The Blue Palm! These two macaws are its co-founders and co-owners, and they have spent a tremendous amount of energy designing it.

They, along with the help of many other creatures, worked together to transform this once-boring brick building into what you see before you. Let's give them all a round of applause!"

The crowd of creatures below all erupted into a cacophony of noises, and it lasted for several minutes. He handed his mic off to Blu, while Jewel walked over to another stand and grabbed her own.

Kipo then flew down to the foot of the stage and stared eagerly up at them.

Jewel began, "Thank you all for coming! We have worked very hard to create this wonderful place, and we hope that today is the first of many successful days that this club will have.

We have three performances planned for tonight, and we assure you that they will make your visit here a memorable one. Anything else, Blu?"

"We would like to give special thanks to Rinaldo for being our audio and equipment controller, and Alicia for volunteering as our bartender! Feel free to drink your fill, but be careful, because the refreshments we have are very strong! Once again, we thank you for showing up!

Nico and Pedro are the first performers tonight, so come on up, you two! Without further ado, let the party begin!"

The two macaws glided down to the floor in the midst of more hearty cheering, and they saw Pedro and Nico informing Rinaldo of their music choice.

The canary and cardinal then flew up to the stage and grabbed their mics, and the club fell into darkness, punctuated only by the flashes of lightning from outside.

A steady, thumping beat began to blast from the speakers, and several streams of red light swept across the stage.

Pedro and Nico had positioned themselves at each end of the curved structure, and as the red beams fell upon them, they began to rap in unison.

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah,

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah...

As they met in the center of the stage, they began the intro, swapping back and forth as they sang.

[Nico]

Yeah we run that,

Club war on the track for the comeback, get it like,

[Pedro]

Hah, Yeah I'm on that,

Hot wax on the floor catch a contact, get 'em like,

[Nico]**  
><strong>

Blao!

Yeah we run that,

Club war on the track for the comeback, get it like,

Blao!

[Pedro]

Yeah I'm on that,

Hot wax on the floor catch a contact, get 'em like...

Pedro began to break dance as Nico began his verse of the song:

Yeah, we've been around for a minute,

Been around the block, still pack shows in it.

And now you wanna get with it,

See, we come this far, no rags, no gimmicks!

No A & R slipping back tryin' ta get the pickage,

For starters, my name's too hot for those bitches!

Nico and Pedro, yeah you know we went and done did it,

From Janeiro to the bay, yes we pay for the ticket!

Yeah, we've got a whole lot of hype,

Whole lot of scraps and a whole lot of vibe.

Whole lot of guys tryin' ta blow from the mic,

But no one ain't bringing up, and cold to the site.

So, you best act like you get it,

Step to the stage and you 'bout to get wetted!

You'll never last that will everlast like you're credited,

If there's beef, then trust a flyin' fan boy did it like,

The two birds then combined their voices once more, and Rinaldo stepped up the intensity of the light show, sweeping multicolored beams all over the floor.

[Nico]

Blao!

Yeah we run that,

Club war on the track for the comeback, get it like,

Blao!

[Pedro]

Hah, Yeah I'm on that,

Hot wax on the floor catch a contact, get 'em like,

[Nico]

Blao!

Yeah we run that,

Club war on the track for the comeback, get it like,

Blao!

[Pedro]

Yeah I'm on that,

Hot wax on the floor catch a contact, get 'em like,

[Nico]

Blao!

All of a sudden, Rinaldo darkened the club once more, and the only indication that the two birds were still there was the echo of their voices:

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah,

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah,

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah,

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah...

Rinaldo then cranked the lights back up, and Nico was now the dancer as Pedro rapped into his mic:

I spend time in the game, paying those dues,

Making those moves, still the same old grooves.

'Cept my brain holds a few more, straight cold tunes,

And you're more likely to get your feathers froze too!

Done a few more steps, the stage shows new,

And now it's more jam packed than Rush Hour 2.

Bringing me more cheap scrubs to crush on the daily,

And a lot more, I wouldn't touch if you paid me!

Man I don't ramp, and I blow amps,

The fam that I roll with will smash your whole camp.

'Cause the beats you make sound crap and don't bang,

While the tracks that we both sing are so nang.

We're on top of the food chain, common with the skills,

That'll have any weak crew running to the hills.

But there's no place to hide, we're at large and heavy,

Coming to a club near you, yeah, you get me!

Much to everyones surprise, the beat started slowing down, as did the light show, and the two birds adjusted their duet to match.

[Nico]

Blao!

Yeah we run that,

Club war on the track for the comeback, get it like,

Blao!

[Pedro]  
><strong><br>**Yeah I'm on that,

Hot wax on the floor catch a contact, get 'em like...

As the two birds concluded their song, their treble and bass voices faded into the rumble of the thunder.

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah,  
><strong><br>**Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah,

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah,

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah...

The lights faded along with them, and after a third period of darkness, the club lights were lit up to medium intensity. Pedro and Nico bowed briefly, and this resulted in a short burst of applause and general adjective-laden praise.

The two birds walked away from each other and disappeared behind the curtain on either side of the stage.

Blu and Jewel flew up to the stage and grabbed the microphones once more. Blu shouted, "A stunning debut by Nico and Pedro, ladies and gentlemen! Let's hear it one more time!"

Another bout of applause erupted from below, and as they gazed out over the crowd, a few birds perched at the bar raised their drinks in the air, albeit very unsteadily.

Jewel concluded, "Next up is the duo of Frank and Maricela! Come on up, you two! Be sure to dazzle us!"

The two Scarlet Macaws lofted onto the stage and clutched their own microphones. They gave a brief nod to Rinaldo, and a much more mellow tune drifted from the speakers.

A soft wash of purple light rained down upon the two macaws as they faced each other. Frank began a slow aerial dance above his mate as her lovely voice filled the club:

[Maricela]

Será que não devemos ter pressa,

Se realmente quisesse isso.

Não é suficiente,

Já sabendo que nós tentamos nosso melhor.**  
><strong>

The female drew a deep breath and then let loose a soft, rolling solo.

Ahhhhh...

Ahhhhh...

Ahhhhh...

Frank and Maricela then switched places, and as pairs of azure and red lights painted the stage, Frank emptied his voice into the microphone he was holding.

Tal vez possamos chamá-lo mesmo,

Pena que eu nunca saí.

Diga-me se você ainda me perdoe,

Diga-me se você ainda vêm dentro.

Maricela dropped to the stage and took the lead as the singer, while Frank began to dance slow circles around her.

Ahhhhh...

Ahhhhh...

Ahhhhh...

O amor vem em primeiro lugar,

Mais rápido do que deveria.

O amor vem em primeiro lugar,

Ele deixa muito lentamente.

O amor vem primeiro,

Depois nos damos conta,

O amor vem em primeiro lugar.**  
><strong>

The light soon shifted to a deep green, and the myriad of beams now converged on Frank, while his mate danced around him as he sang.

Sentado aqui com todas as respostas,

Você acha que tinha que fazer isso durar?

Apressando-se de braços abertos,

Desejando que pudéssemos chamá-lo de casa.

The macaws then grabbed each other with their wings, and they alternated their voices back in forth for the next section of the track.

[Maricela]

Ahhhhh...

[Frank]

Diga-me...

[Maricela]

Ahhhhh...

[Frank]

Diga-me...

[Maricela]

Ahhhhh...

[Frank]

Diga-me...

[Maricela]

Ahhhhh...

[Frank] **  
><strong>

Diga-me...

[Maricela]

Ahhhhh...

Diga-me...

[Maricela]

Ahhhhh...

[Frank] **  
><strong>

Diga-me...

Diga-me...

Diga-me...

[Maricela]

Ahhhhh...

Ahhhhh...

Ahhhhh...

The disco ball above now jumped to life, spilling hundreds of tiny squares across every surface. The flashes of lightning caused several bursts of light to flash from the ball, and the two macaws danced around in their final duet.

O amor vem em primeiro lugar,

Mais rápido do que deveria.

O amor vem em primeiro lugar,

Ele deixa muito lentamente.

O amor vem primeiro,

Depois nos damos conta,

O amor vem em primeiro lugar...

The music slowly faded from the air, and the crowd once again praised the two performers. This time, many of the creatures below had tears in their eyes, yet they still shouted happily.

They followed the path of Nico and Pedro before them, vanishing behind he curtain and re-emerging back down on the floor. Blu and Jewel once more returned to the stage and allowed the party animals a few more seconds to show their support for Maricela and Frank.

The curtain then slid closed in front of the two macaws, and Blu turned to face his mate. "Are you ready, honey? This is it."

"Yes I am, Blu. Just like old times, huh?"

"Indeed!"

"Let's give them a show becoming of a pair of club owners, shall we?"

"We shall..."

Blu leaned in to kiss her briefly, and he drew back to steady his nerves. A semi-rapid drum beat began to fill the air, only it came from the waiting band to their right.

As the curtain parted, a wall of orange light advanced towards them, and they each drew a deep breath. The soft aura came to rest upon them, and they knew it was time to shine...

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**Here is the song guide for this chapter. I had to adapt some of the lyrics from the original to suit them better. Feel free to watch the originals on Youtube. It will help you get the feel for the songs here, and plus, they are some sweet tunes!**

* * *

><p><strong>Pedro'sNico's Song:**

**Foreign Beggars-Contact**

* * *

><p><strong>Maricela'sFrank's Song:**

**Techno Squirrels-Love Comes First.**

**I decided to do this song in Portuguese, so just Youtube search it and listen to it in English. **

**You can follow along with the lyrics, if you want. You can pretty much get the gist of what it is saying.**

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you for taking the time to read this, and until my next update...<strong>

***THE Wolf is out!***


	7. The Future Is Bright

**Chapter 7:The Future Is Bright**

Jewel lofted into the air and executed a rhythmic ballet as Blu began their song.

All I ever see, we never get a break,  
>We've been working for days.<br>I feel the heat, burning down my back,  
>Blood, sweat, and tears, will you testify to that?<p>

Jewel dropped back down to the stage, and as the two macaws danced around each other in tight circles, they began a short duet.

I feel the heat you give baby,  
>I never want to say farewell, oh,<strong><br>**Our passions will rise when the kingdom, it falls.

Jewel then performed her ballet on the stage as her mate opened up his beak once more.

Nothing lives for long, I'm shackled at the feet,  
>I've been working as your slave.<br>Try hold me down, and you move and wake the beast,  
>I'm on top girl, as I never miss a beat.<p>

The two macaws proceeded to meet in the middle, and they walked, wing in wing, to the edge of the stage. The orange lights morphed to glimmering golden streams as they combined their voices.

I feel the heat you give baby,  
>I never want to say farewell, oh,<strong><br>**Our passions will rise when the kingdom, it falls!

The myriad of golden beams now began sweeping all over the room as Blu soulfully sang into the mic, keeping his gaze on Jewel the whole time.

You're my golden sun!  
>Take my wing and rule the world,<br>Across this jungle, girl.**  
><strong>

Blu concluded his solo, and he now began an energetic accompaniment as Jewel cast her voice into her mic.

Giving all I've got, when there's nothing left to give,  
>I'll be fighting till the end.<br>Raise your flag boy, don't let it drop.  
>Dark nights where the sky's cold, the land's hot.<br>I don't want to know, so don't tell me.  
>Demons whisper in my ears, they're from the dark side.<br>Raise your flag boy, don't let it drop.  
>Dark nights where the sky's cold the land's hot.<p>

The band ramped up the strength of their beat, and the two macaws faced each other for their final duet.

I feel the heat you give baby,  
>I never want to say farewell, oh,<strong><br>**Our passions will rise when the kingdom, it falls!

Rinaldo oriented the beams of light on the disco ball above, and a shining storm of golden squares orbited across every inch of the room. Jewel faced her mate and belted out the final verse of the song.

You're my golden sun!  
>Take my wing and rule the world,<br>Across this jungle, boy...

The tuba player let loose a deep solo as their voices faded, and the band joined in soon after, finishing the song with a flourish.

The music quickly dropped off, and as the two macaws bowed, the applause they received was on a whole other level than the previous two displays.

"Thank you all so much! We hope you all enjoyed our performance as much as Blu and I did! That is all the entertainment we had scheduled for tonight, but this club will stay open past midnight! Enjoy the rest of your time at The Blue Palm!"

They disappeared behind the violet curtain as it slid shut, leaving a gap just wide enough for the neon signs above the stage to be seen. They followed a hidden stairway down the side of the stage, and they soon re-emerged on the soft floor of the club.

They made their way through the crowd in search of their friends' table, and they received a few forceful slaps on the back along the way. When they finally found it, Pedro, Nico, Maricela, Frank, and Ricardo were already seated, and that left two more spots for them.

Blu and Jewel sat in between Maricela and Ricardo, and they all poured their praise the two Spix's Macaws.

"You was a sight to see! You two love-hawks got some sweet moves, yo!" shouted Pedro.

Nico smiled and added, "You really rocked this place! So much charisma! So much talent! Maybe it will rub off on the rest of us!"

Frank and Maricela felt obliged to chime in as well.

"You two are naturals when it comes to pleasing the audience!" exclaimed the female.

Her mate then said, "They way you moved together was mesmerizing, not to mention the sound of your voices as they swirled together! It sent chills up my spine!"

"You all really think that? We can say that you four did very well yourselves!"

"I guess we have to take your word for it, Jewel. You are the master, after all!"

Despite the time that had elapsed from the first performance to the last, the storm had maintained its intensity, and the club was briefly illuminated by periodic bolts of lightning. "I am going to get something to drink, Frank. I will be right back!"

A loud rumble of thunder had overpowered Maricela's voice, and her mate had caught none of what she had just said. "What did you say? I didn't hear you!"

Maricela waited for another peal of thunder to die off, and she said, "I am going to get a drink! I will be right back!"

"Oh, okay, honey! I won't be going anywhere!"

The Scarlet Macaw hopped down from her chair and approached the nearby bar. The others continued chatting, and Blu spotted Rafael and Eva at another table. He leaned in close to Jewel and said, "I am going to talk with our toucan friends for awhile. Do you want to come along?"

"No, Blu. I am going to stay here with my father. We have a lot to catch up on. I will wait for you to come back."

"Okay, Jewel. If you start to feel lonely without your love-hawk, just wave your wing, and I will return!"

Blu winked at her and walked off before she could reply.

_Very funny. I guess I will keep that in mind, Mr. Love-hawk..._

Jewel turned back to the table, and she watched as Maricela returned with a small plastic cup. Inside of it was a blood-red liquid, and every so often, Maricela would swallow a swig of it. Jewel could almost feel the burn of the spiked beverage as it drained down the Scarlet Macaw's throat.

She cringed uncontrollably, and this earned her a curious glance from her father, who had been talking to her the whole time. "Are you okay, Jewel? Are you cold?"

She shook her head slightly and replied, "No, father. I am fine. What were you saying?"

"I was telling you..."

A few tables away, Blu had plopped himself down to Eva, who was drinking a bubbling orange liquid from a plastic cup. _Hmmm, that must be the Mango Massacre flavor..._

Eva was obviously less than sober, and after she had noticed that Blu was sitting next to her, she immediately started monologuing about the events of the past week. After listening intently for a few minutes, Blu had grown bored of her intoxicated babble, so he decided to change the subject.

He stared past her at Rafael and said, "So, Rafael, did you like the shows that we put on?"

"Of course I did, Blu! Pedro and Nico sure can rap. Maricela's and Frank's song was lovely as well! As for you and Jewel's debut, I am actually a little envious! I wish my voice was half as good as yours! And you dance pretty well, too!"

"That's not the first time I have heard that tonight!"

Eva downed the last bit of the mango drink, and she attempted to make her way back to the bar. So out of sorts was she that she tripped on her chair, and just before she hit the ground, her mate deftly caught her.

He hoisted her back to her seat and chided, "No more drinks tonight, Eva. You don't want to set a bad example for the kids! Besides, you need to be sober enough to fly home!"

"Whatever y-you say, Rafa...Rafael. C-can I take a n-nap? I am s-so tired..."

Before Rafael could reply, she had laid her head down on the table and drifted off into unconsciousness.

"Way to go, Eva! Now what will you do with her, Rafael?"

"This happens all the time. She should be back to normal in another hour or two!"

"Oh, okay then! Well, if you don't mind, I am going to head back to my table."

"Oh, I don't mind at all! See you later, Blu! Have a good time with Jewel!"

He slid off of the chair and made his way back to his mate. As he sat back down next to her, he stared at her lovingly, hoping she wouldn't notice.

_I will always have a good time, as long as she is by my side. Always..._

"Blu? Hello? Blu! Snap out of it!"

He was shocked out of his stupor by a loud scream, and he realized that it had come from Jewel, much to his chagrin. "What! Is something happening?"

"My father is leaving, that's what is happening! Aren't you going to tell him goodbye?"

Blu turned to him with as straight a face as he could manage, and he said, "Goodbye, Vicente. I hope you enjoyed our show! Have a safe flight!"

"Farewell, Blu. Farewell, Jewel. I am so proud of you both! You have really made my day! I am lucky to know such a pair of talented macaws. Well, I better get going! It looks like this storm isn't going to let up for awhile. I hope I don't get struck by lightning or something!"

"Oh, father, don't say that. You will make it home just fine! I love you!"

"I love you too, Jewel..."

The ragged macaw lowered himself from the chair and vanished into the crowd. Although they could not see his body, they could tell he had left by the gust of chilled air that the open door had let in.

"How much longer do you want to stay, Jewel? Are you tired?"

"Not really. Maybe we should try to wait the storm out. I just hope that the six macaws that we left behind are okay..."

The two macaws had passed the time conversing with the others, and the club had gradually grown less and less crowded, despite the storm that was still howling outside. After Pedro and Nico had opted to depart, leaving just four macaws at their table, Blu felt a sensation deep inside of him.

He slid off of his chair, and Jewel stopped him before he could escape.

"Where are you going?"

"Outside for a bit. I guess you could say that nature is calling! I will be right back!"

"Oh. Well, be careful! Try not to keep me waiting, love-hawk!"

Blu easily crossed the now-spacious floor of the club and slipped outside. After taking care of his "business," he re-entered the club and returned to his mate's side, albeit soaking wet.

"Oh my, Blu! Did you have fun out there?"

Blu shivered steadily, trying to shed as much water as he could from his sodden feathers.

"D-don't ask! Why don't y-you go out t-there and see f-for yourself how much 'fun' it is?"

"No thanks. I prefer to keep my feathers toasty and dry! Sorry..."

Three hours later, a much awaited silence had settled over the club, signaling that the weather system had moved on. The two macaws had decided to head home, and Maricela and Frank had agreed to join them.

The female macaw had managed to regain her sobriety much faster than Eva, having drunk only two cups of the Dragon fruit Disaster.

Just before they left, however, Blu and Jewel had one more bit of business to take care of. They hopped down from the table and marched over to Kipo, who was standing with a few of his buddies on the other side of the club. The other birds grew silent as they approached, and they waited for the spoonbill to acknowledge them.

"Oh, hey guys! Did you want to tell me something? You were superb earlier, by the way!"

"Thanks, Kipo! It means a lot, coming from you. We are just about to head off. We left our children at our home, along with the children of the two Scarlet Macaws from earlier. We really need to check on them, and besides, it's getting very late."

"I see. Well, you all just go on home and get some rest. I can take care of things from here! How much longer do you want this place to stay open?"

"For...one more hour. After that, have this place cleaned up and closed down."

"No problem, Jewel! You and Blu won't have to worry about a thing! See you later!"

The two macaws waved happily before walking off to join Maricela and Frank. They all made their way to the exit and lofted into flight. The storm had dumped a significant amount of water on the city, and many of the streets below had become rivers.

They flew on through the chilled, musty air, and they soon arrived at the patch of jungle that was their home. The silvery glow from the crescent moon above illuminated the rain-soaked sanctuary, turning it into one giant, gleaming crystal.

A small area of the jungle ahead was devoid of light, save for a small glimmer in the center, and the four macaws knew that that was the clearing they were seeking. They glided down into the tree belonging to Blu and Jewel, and much to their relief, all six macaws were accounted for.

After a few parting words, the five Scarlet Macaws departed for their own home, allowing the other five the chance to finally turn in for the night. However, just as Blu and Jewel were tucking their children in, a flash of light from outside caught their attention.

Ricardo dashed over to the hole and quickly peered around. Another brief glare cut into the hollow, and Ricardo whirled around, his eyes glowing with excitement. "Mama! Papa! Come quick! There are bright lights going across the sky!"

He burst from the tree and flew up to the crown, and his brother and sister soon followed.

"What could it be, Blu?"

"We sure won't find out sitting in here..."

Blu and Jewel joined their children on a rain-slick branch, and as Blu caught sight of a number of the strange lights, he knew exactly what they were.

"Ahhh, a meteor shower! I haven't seen one in a long time..."

"How does a 'meteor shower' happen, Papa?"

"Small rocks and debris in outer space get pulled into Earth's atmosphere, Esperanza. They burn up as they fall, and that is what makes them glow. Linda once told me that if you make a wish on one, it is supposed to come true. But you have to wish it in your head, not out loud."

"What _can_we wish for, Papa?"

Blu chuckled and replied, "Anything you want, Vicente! It doesn't matter how silly or weird it is!"

The five macaws waited for another meteor to fall, and then they each repeated their wish in their minds.

Ricardo, Esperanza, and Vicente all wished for their parents to have more babies in the future.

Their parents, however, wished for long and cheerful lives, both with each other and their children.

"How long can we stay up and watch, Mama?"

"Not much longer, _meus filhos. _It is already past your bedtime..."

This was not the answer that they wanted to hear. They hoped that their father would allow them to stay up, so they repeated their question to him next.

"You can stay up until it is over. Then-"

Jewel gave him a disagreeing kick in his side. "Do you really have to undermine me in front of them, Blu? That is not very appropriate conduct!"

"Do you have to get physical with me every time you get angry? Just let them stay up a little longer, honey. One night can't hurt, can it?"

"Hmmph. I guess not. But no more late nights after this. Understood?"

"Completely, honey. Oh, did I ever tell you how beautiful meteor showers are?"

"No. You don't have to tell me that, though. I admire them as well."

"They may be lovely, but not as lovely as _you_..."

He pulled Jewel close to him and gave her a peck on the cheek. "Point well made, Blu. Now, how about less _kiss,_ and more _watch_?"

"Easier said than done, _meu anjo..._"

Their children scooted over to their mother's side as the shower continued, and Blu laid his head on top of Jewel's. She then spread her wings out on either side of her, enfolding her mate and children at the same time.

As they shared each other's warmth on this cold, yet peaceful night, a hidden light seemed to shine within them.

As they sat and watched the heavenly spectacle above, they realized that this night was the start of a long, bright future for them all. They couldn't have been any closer to the truth...

* * *

><p><strong>AN:**

**Meus filhos.=My children.**

**Meu anjo.=My angel.**

* * *

><p><strong>Song Guide:<strong>

**Fenech-Soler**

**Golden Sun**

* * *

><p><strong>I, WolfOnFyre, would like to take the time to announce that...<strong>

**I am concluding my five story arc with this final update.**

**I just wanted to let you all know that this has been one hell of a ride,**

**And it is one that I will NEVER forget.**

**After all that I put Blu and Jewel through, it seems that things will finally be looking up for them...**

**I would like to give my eternal thanks to the following writers, in no particular order:**

**Zacarais, mildirk, Count Doofus, and Mord44.**

**You gave me the inspiration to keep going, and even helped me overcome a few episodes of writer's block along the way.**

**I am now going to focus on my Rio/Guardians of Ga'Hoole Crossover(please check it out), and another secret story that I shant reveal to you yet, as it is a work in progress.**

**This story may be over, but rest assured, because MANY more will follow...**

**Thanks again, all of you, and may you all continue to write captivating stories about the awesome world of Rio.**

**Best wishes from...**

***The Wolf who is on Fyre***


End file.
